The President

Trump Says Refugees Are Surging Into US — It's True But Misleading

President Trump cited a surge in refugees from "suspect" countries. He's technically right — but left out a big part of the story.

Trump Says Refugees Are Surging Into US — It's True But Misleading
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President Donald Trump's tweets about refugees entering the country since the travel ban was put on hold aren't entirely false. They're not entirely true, either.

Trump quoted a story from the conservative outlet The Washington Times. The outlet reported 77 percent of refugees entering the U.S. since Trump's executive order was suspended were from the seven "suspect" countries.

That number is accurate. NBC verified with a U.S. State Department source that more than 70 percent of the 1,400 refugees accepted between Feb. 4 and Feb. 10 were from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Somalia or Sudan. No refugees from Libya or Yemen were accepted.

But looking at that number alone is misleading.

The US Refugee Vetting Process Is Far Tougher Than Donald Trump Says
The US Refugee Vetting Process Is Far Tougher Than Donald Trump Says

The US Refugee Vetting Process Is Far Tougher Than Donald Trump Says

Refugees go through a thorough vetting process before entering the U.S.

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Once the executive order went into place, refugees who were already vetted and ready to relocate to the U.S. were put on hold. When the courts suspended the executive order, those refugees were able to continue their move to the U.S.

It's also important to note these refugees had already gone through an 18- to 24-month vetting process. 

NBC reports immigration from those seven Muslim-majority countries is on par with numbers from last year.