Immigration security

Trump establishes National Vetting Center to screen immigrants, others seeking to enter US

President Trump on Tuesday ordered the establishment of a new National Vetting Center to focus on screening people who wish to come to the United States, like immigrants, refugees and other visitors.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the center would work to identify people “who present a threat to national security, border security, homeland security, or public safety.”

“The federal government’s current vetting efforts are ad hoc, which impedes our ability to keep up with today’s threats,” Sanders said in a statement. “The NVC will better coordinate these activities in a central location, enabling officials to further leverage critical intelligence and law enforcement information to identify terrorists, criminals, and other nefarious actors trying to enter and remain within our country.”

The National Vetting Center will be housed within the Department of Homeland Security, the White House said.

“The National Vetting Center will support unprecedented work by DHS and the entire U.S. intelligence community to keep terrorists, violent criminals, and other dangerous individuals from reaching our shores,” Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement.