“But it’s also a day to count our blessings and give back to others – a reminder that no matter our circumstances, all of us have something to be grateful for”, he said. The administration sent a letter telling states they would be subject to enforcement action if they do not comply with federal plans to import thousands of refugees to the United States over the next few years.
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“In 1620, a small band of pilgrims came to this continent, refugees who had fled persecution and violence in their native land”, he said. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, meanwhile, said he’s told local pastors they could count on him to help shelter Syrian refugees who arrive through “any organized, thoroughly vetted program that the country asks Dallas to participate in”.
In his weekly radio address broadcast Thursday, Obama noted his commitment to accept an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees this year.
A Bloomberg poll from last week suggested that more than half, or 53 percent of Americans, share the same concerns and would oppose taking in more Syrian refugees. “We turn Lady Liberty’s light to the world, and widen our circle of concern to say in that all God’s children are worthy of our compassion and care”, the President stated. “Our nation has always been welcoming but we cannot let terrorists take advantage”, Ryan, a Republican, said yesterday. According to the International Refugee Assistance Project, those Iraqi translators are among the 58,000 or more Iraqis who worked with the U.S. They are still awaiting for visa processing.
President Obama on the other hand said that the highest security checks are already in place through which each refugee must pass before they are allowed to set foot on American soil. But the White House has said it is open to working with politicians in the Congress to ensure tighter security measures for visitors from 38 countries who do not need a visa for short visits to the United States.
Now, the states can’t outright refuse them, but they can deny the release of federal funding for local refugee programs that serve Syrians.
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association President Nathan Catura said there is no way to check the backgrounds of incoming Syrians for terrorist activities, and that American war veterans are more deserving of the potential billions of dollars that would be used for the refugee programme.
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The House passed a bill that would have withheld Justice Department grant money from sanctuary cities and states, but Senate Democrats launched a filibuster to halt it. Mr. Obama threatened to veto the legislation anyway, saying it was bad policy to withhold money.
