Sen. Chuck Grassley on Twitter Sunday said he wanted an answer from the White House on why a deal the U.S. made with Australia to accept as many as 1,000 refugees hasn't been declassified, the Hill reports.
Grassley earlier this month sent a letter to new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asking for a response.
"As I said before, the American people have a right to be fully aware of the actions of their government regarding foreign nationals who may be admitted to the United States," the Republican senator wrote in the letter.
The Obama administration agreed in November to accept the refugees Australia has been holding in detention centers on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, most of whom are from Iraq and Iran, as a way to help its ally.
According to Britain’s Guardian newspaper, the agreement would only allow refugees who have undergone a rigorous vetting process to enter the country.
Grassley, along with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, wrote a letter to then-Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry, asking to be informed of the "circumstances surrounding the agreement."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.