President Obama said Tuesday the outcry against his plan to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States “needs to stop”.
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Still, President Obama has insisted that the US will continue to accept the refugees, slamming Republicans for suggesting that they pose a security threat.
In response to last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris, House Republicans have formed a task force charged with finding a legislative response to calm fears about Syrian refugees coming into the U.S.
“These are the people who lop off heads of Christians”.
Bush also said he disagrees with Cruz, who wants to specifically bar Muslim refugees from Syria.
Thus far the numbers of Syrian refugees admitted to the US from their war-torn homeland have been extremely limited and they are vetted in a lengthy process.
“We will make all efforts to ensure that Syrian refugees are not resettled within the boundaries of our state”, wrote Walker in a letter addressed to Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell.
“Texas is saying no more, we will not allow any more Syrian refugees into the State of Texas”, Abbott said on FOX News.
The White House says 34 governors of both parties joined a call Tuesday evening, led by White House chief of staff Denis McDonough.
In Cuyahoga County, four agencies work together directly with the State Department to process up to 800 refugees a year.
In that call, one of the officials said they regularly interact with lawmakers and state and local leaders to answer questions and clear up misconceptions about the program.
“In terms of criminal history, we do the best we can with the resources that we have”, said one senior administration official, who spoke to reporters on the condition he not be identified.
Christopher Roederer, a professor of law and director of worldwide programs at the Florida Coastal School of Law, says governors have no authority to refuse the entry of anyone into their states.
Syrian refugees undergo extra scrutiny, officials said.
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Syrian refugees have taken significantly longer to process because of security concerns and the fact that the USA doesn’t have a diplomatic presence in the country, making it more complicated for officials to gather information about applicants.
