Ann Marie Kudlacz, Executive Director of the Refugee Empowerment Center, spoke at this month’s Omaha Press Club’s Noon Forum.
The Refugee Empowerment Center’s mission is to resettle and empower refugees to become self-sufficient through direct services and educational programs.
Kudlacz talked about the history of the agency and the refugee resettlement process.
One of the questions she was asked was about the vetting process refugees go through before being allowed entry to the United States and how likely it is that a terrorist could make it through the process.
"They go through the Department of Homeland Security. They go through United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Technically speaking, if you’re a terrorist and wanted to enter the country, you could get a visitor’s visa passport and enter that way. You wouldn’t want to enter the refugee resettlement process because you would be fingerprinted and photographed and background checked so much. It’s such an extensive process.”
Kudlacz’s presentation at the Omaha Press Club will air in its entirety on KIOS Monday, April 18th at Noon.