UN defends refugee vetting as Trump mulls revised entry ban

AMMAN, Jordan — In an office cubicle at the U.N. refugee agency, a Syrian woman and her three daughters took turns staring into a camera for iris scans.

Many of the 5 million Syrian refugees who scratch out a living in overwhelmed neighboring states such as Jordan aren’t necessarily candidates for a rare slot in the resettlement program.

A week after his inauguration, Trump suspended refugee admissions, arguing that the displaced pose a potential terrorism threat and that his administration needs time to impose more stringent vetting procedures.

U.S. involvement in refugee resettlement is bound to shrink this year, even if a new executive order softens earlier provisions, such as the open-ended ban on the entry of displaced Syrians.