“Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Today, we give thanks for all of our loved ones and the fearless men and women in uniform who serve our country”, Obama tweeted.
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Yang said the number of Syrian refugees that the Obama administration wants to welcome in fiscal year 2016 – 10,000 – is a “drop in the bucket” compared to the millions of Syrian refugees absorbed by Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.
In a letter addressed to state officials, the Office of Refugee Resettlement warned states they will be breaking the law and could faceenforcement action, including suspension or termination of the nationally funded program.
The agency also pointed to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination for federally funded assistance benefits. Governor Abbott said, “Because I am saying that we are not going to allow these refugees in the State of Texas, that means that we as a state are going to be able to cut this off, and that is pursuant to federal law”.
“People should remember that no refugee can enter our borders until they undergo the highest security checks of anyone traveling to the United States”.
Of course, numerous refugees are heading to Europe and possibly into the United States of America as well. “Wyoming does not have a refugee resettlement program”.
The letter, from the Workplace of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), told state resettlement officers in that they may not deny advantages & services to refugees based mostly on their country of origin or faith. “But the refugee screening process is extremely lengthy and extremely robust and it is completely possible to balance national security with having compassion for people fleeing a war torn country”, Townsend said in an interview. “We work with them in picking up a refugee family at the airport, or providing them with a meal, or even inviting a family [to join them] for the holidays”.
Before lawmakers left for Thanksgiving break, the U.S. House passed a bill to suspend the refugee program until the vetting process is intensified and officials can certify that no refugee poses a risk.
“It’s our responsibility, for me as governor of the state of Texas and for all leaders in this nation, to ensure that we put national security and the security of our fellow Americans first”, he added.
Other towns in the U.S. have also shown a willingness to host Syrian refugees.
It appears, at least anecdotally, that so far a broad public backlash against Syrian refugees simply isn’t happening.
Last week the White House held an emergency call with 34 governors who had expressed opposition to having refugees placed into their states.
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“This culture is just as welcoming as the culture where I grew up”, he says. And because of the particular conditions regarding the Syrian crisis, there are additional security screens in place for Syrian refugees. In 2014, MRS resettled 20,875 refugees from around the world in the U.S. It is the largest nongovernmental resettlement agency in the world.
