President Barack Obama has said the USA would accept an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees in the 2016 fiscal year.
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At least 27 U.S. state governors have expressed opposition to Obama sending Syrian refugees to their states, with some ordering departments to halt all cooperation with federal refugee programs until tighter controls are implemented.
“After full consideration of this weekend’s attacks of terror on innocent citizens in Paris, I will oppose any attempt to relocate Syrian refugees to Alabama”, said Robert Bentley, governor of the southern U.S. state. Others encouraged further communication to ensure that governors are able to better respond to questions from the public about the refugee screening and resettlement process.
The Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, Michael McCaul, said his bill would strengthen security measures for all refugee populations.
Both of Alaska’s US senators are asking for an immediate stop to any USA plans to grant Syrian refugees asylum.
However, under federal law, state governors have little power to block their entry into the country or interfere with federal resettlement programs. On the floor of the U.S. House, Gutierrez called the governors banning refugees “despicable and cowardly”, and said their decision is exactly what ISIS wants. Chuck Schumer of NY, the third-ranking Senate Democrat, broke with most in his party and told reporters that a pause in accepting Syrian refugees “may be necessary”. We hate to see that she has bowed to pressure from state and national legislators and fellow Republican governors to call for barring all refugees from Syria.
Out of the more than 4 million refugees who have dispersed from Syria – mostly to neighboring countries – the US has accepted 1,829 this year.
“And I would add these are the same folks who suggested they’re so tough that just talk to Putin or staring down ISIL” will work, he said, “but they’re scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America as part of our tradition of compassion”. Some lawmakers pointed to indications that one of the Islamic State attackers carried a Syrian passport and may have arrived in France among waves of desperate refugees. Gov. Abbott was not on the call, which was led by White House chief of staff Denis McDonough. “We don’t have religious tests to our compassion”, he said.
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Refugee admissions are determined by the U.S. Department of State, which processes applications received through the United Nations and conducts security screenings – a process that can take up to two years. Nonetheless numerous House conservatives who’ve caused problems for leadership on legislation of all kinds said they would support it.
