As of late Tuesday, 30 governors – 29 Republicans and 1 Democrat – had expressed opposition to bringing in refugees after European officials confirmed one of the terrorists who attacked Paris last week was a Syrian who had registered with E.U. officials while traveling through Greece seeking asylum.
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Abbott is also appointing a Texas refugee coordinator and directed the state health department, to send changes in refugee policies to federal officials.
I do not believe the USA should accept additional Syrian refugees because security and safety issues can not be adequately addressed.
In a letter to U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Scott said that several relief agencies have asked the Florida Department of Children and Families to support the possible relocation of 425 Syrian refugees to the state.
“Even amongst the most pro-immigration wings of the Republican Party there is a sense that national security absolutely has to come first”, said Republican Rep. Mick Mulvaney of SC. So it’s not clear that any governors have the power to actually block refugee resettlement, as a few have pledged to do.
Refugees register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees then go through a rigorous vetting process.
Administration officials have said screening for Syrian refugees includes an interview overseas, biometrics, fingerprinting and biographical investigations to determine if individuals are truly worthy of refugee status or if they pose security risks.
Obama took particular ire at a proposal by GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush to admit only Christian Syrians. He says the USA isn’t well served by decisions based on hysteria or exaggeration of risk.
MI has a large Arab-American population, and in the past Snyder has called himself the “most pro-immigration governor in the country”.
More than 200 Syrian refugees reside in Texas, and that number won’t increase if Gov. Greg Abbott remains true to his response following the recent terrorist attacks in Paris.
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Donald Trump accused the administration of sending refugees primarily to Republican-led states, and more governors announced their objections to receiving any refugees from the civil war in Syria. “It has to be a process of political working out”.
