US admits about 5,500 Syrian refugees in last 2 months

By Esra Kaymak Avci

WASHINGTON (AA) – The U.S. has admitted about 8,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S. so far, the State Department said Thursday.

"As of Aug. 4, nearly 8,000, exact figure is 7,905, Syrian refugees have been admitted," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner during a press briefing.

Then Toner knocked on his desk saying "yes" when he was asked whether the U.S. would be able to achieve its goal within the next two months.

Washington said last September it would admit 10,000 refugees by the end of the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30.

According to the White House, the number of admitted Syrian refugees in June was only about 2,500. The first family to come to the U.S. under that effort arrived in April -- over half way through the fiscal year.

These figures had cast doubt on Washington's ability to meet the relatively modest goal.

If President Barack Obama is unable to meet the goal, it could set the stage for a potentially embarrassing scenario when he hosts a summit on refugees on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September.

His efforts have been further complicated by the bluster of electoral politics, particularly by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S.

In total, 31 states have said that they would not assist in the resettlement process within their borders. All but one are governed by Republicans.