U.S. nears goal of resettling 10,000 Syrian refugees

WASHINGTON — After a slow start, it appears increasingly likely that the Obama administration will hit its goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States before the end of September.

If the pace from June and July continues this month, the target should be reached with a couple of weeks to spare before Obama heads to the United Nations to urge world leaders to admit more refugees and to increase funding for relief organizations.

Obama’s call for 10,000 entries this year was criticized by most Republican governors and the GOP presidential candidates, who argued the government lacked an adequate screening system to prevent suspected terrorists from slipping into the U.S.