Dan Cirucci: NJ Legislators Want Refugees Fully Vetted

Friday, August 27, 2021

NJ Legislators Want Refugees Fully Vetted

Almost 10,000 Afghan refugees fleeing the turmoil in their homeland will be coming to New Jersey, and Senate Republicans are calling on New Jersey’s Department of Homeland Security and Preparedness to ensure they are thoroughly vetted.

In a letter to the director of New Jersey’s Homeland Security and Preparedness, Sens. Singer, Connors, Holzapfel, Thompson and O’Scanlon emphasized the need to vet and screen refugees coming to the state from Afghanistan. (Wikimedia Commons)

Senators Robert Singer, Chris Connors, Jim Holzapfel, Sam Thompson and Declan O’Scanlon today wrote to NJ Homeland Director Laurie R. Duran emphasizing the need to protect New Jersey residents from possible terrorists who may have circumvented checkpoints and federal screening on the ground in Kabul before boarding flights to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

In the letter (click here for PDF), the Senators said: “Our nation made a commitment to our Afghan allies who supported U.S. troops while they were serving abroad, but we also have a commitment to maintaining the security of New Jerseyans here at home. You must fully vet all incoming refugees to ensure that potentially dangerous individuals didn’t try to take advantage of the chaos of President Biden’s evacuation from Afghanistan to infiltrate the United States.”

The full text of the letter is below:

Director Doran,

The first influx of an anticipated 10,000 Afghan refugees to New Jersey has already arrived, and soon these displaced individuals and families will be assimilating into our communities.

In light of the chaos surrounding the extraction of both American citizens and displaced Afghanis, and in your role as the Director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, we are urging your office to mobilize immediately to conduct thorough security vetting of each and every refugee that cycles through the joint base and into New Jersey.

We have all viewed the disturbing scenes on the ground in Kabul. While federal officials are doing their best to screen refugees and conduct background checks, the process is fraught with complications due to the changing dynamics. Even under the best circumstances, no vetting system is flawless. Under the nightmarish conditions at the airport in Kabul, reliable vetting is almost impossible.

Our nation made a commitment to our Afghan allies who supported U.S. troops while they were serving abroad, but we also have a commitment to maintaining the security of New Jerseyans here at home. You must fully vet all incoming refugees to ensure that potentially dangerous individuals didn’t try to take advantage of the chaos of President Biden’s evacuation from Afghanistan to infiltrate the United States.

We are hopeful your office is prepared to complete the diligence required to safeguard our people, families and communities as we welcome new arrivals to our state.

Sincerely,

Robert Singer
Senator, 30th District

Chris Connors
Senator, 9th District

James Holzapfel
Senator, 10th District

Sam Thompson
Senator, 12th District

Declan O’Scanlon
Senator, 13th District

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About Dan Cirucci

He's been cited by the late Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed across all media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, a Save Jersey blog columnist, frequent guest on the Matt Rooney radio show and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post, Broad and Liberty and other print and online platforms.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include all things Italian, politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

He and his wife Carole have two grown children and seven grandchildren.

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