Officials: No, states can't reject Syrian refugees

Washington Post ^ | November 16, 2015 | By Pamela Constable

[Brad from Tennessee]

More than a dozen governors have said in the wake of the Paris attacks that they do not want their states to accept Syrian refugees.

But officials at several American refugee resettlement agencies said Monday that state and local officials cannot physically prevent refugees from being resettled in their areas. They said that all refugees who arrive in the United States must first be approved for legal entry by the federal government after a lengthy screening process and that their housing arrangements are made through long-term contracts and relationships with city, county and state governments.

“Governors and state officials do not have the capability to prevent a refugee who is here and admitted lawfully to the U.S. from residing in their state. It is not something they can do,” said Lucy Carrigan, a spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee. “There is a close collaboration with governors and mayors and community leaders about the capacity of the area for refugees and where they can go, but once they have legal status, you cannot impede their transit between different states.”

A total of about 1,900 Syrian refugees have been resettled in the United States in the past two years, all of them brought directly from camps and settlements in countries surrounding Syria. Carrigan and others said none of them had been part of the wave of migrants coming through Europe. The 1,900 are a tiny fraction of the 200,000 living near Syria who have been approved for resettlement in the United States. The International Rescue Committee, based in New York, has resettled about 250 of them. . .

[kagnew]

We are no longer a constitutional republic. We are a banana republic.
Before Obama leaves office, IF HE LEAVES, we will most probably be a third world country. Yep, he certainly changed this country into what he wanted, just MHO.

[napscoordinator]

throw a tent and a can of beans and see them run from the state.

[Georgia Girl 2]

These fools are about to find out what the term sovereign state means.

[napscoordinator]

Under penalty of what?

Federal funding of course.

[fwdude]

Only when this stuff interferes with football games.

I think you may be right. Can't bear to lose playtime with our toys.

[Presbyterian Reporter]

We could finally see the States enforce their Constitutional Rights that usurp Federal Rights.

[Art in Idaho]

"The 1,900 are a tiny fraction of the 200,000 living near Syria who have been approved for resettlement in the United States."

We the People just can't let this happen. . some way, some how, we have to protect our children and grandchildren.

[Pollster1]

. . . state and local officials cannot physically prevent refugees from being resettled in their areas . . . housing arrangements are made through long-term contracts and relationships with city, county and state governments.

A "contract" that one side cannot refuse? Interesting concept.

[bestintxas]

the hell with unelected officials telling our representatives in govt what they can and cant do.

This is not a dictatorship

[BigEdLB]

Whoever this “Officials” guy is, he forgets the 2nd amendment, and how tyranny has to be stopped.

[combat_boots]

5 U.S.C. Sec. 3331 Oath of office

An individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services, shall take the following oath:

“I, ________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

This section does not affect other oaths required by law.
Source: http://crtf.homepage.com/oath.htm

[BigEdLB]

Federal Marshalls trying to force Syrian ‘refugees’ into a state. I remember a quote from a Clint Eastwood movie.

[Jim Noble]

They said that all refugees who arrive in the United States must first be approved for legal entry by the federal government after a lengthy screening process

This used to be true.

I've been involved with the medical care of refugees since 1975. They used to arrive with a folder, often tied around their necks, with their chest Xray, medical screening form signed by a US MD and US consular official overseas, and lots of ID details.

Since 2001, this has completely fallen apart.

Now, "refugees" can be met at the airport by their sponsors, loaded into a cab or ambulance, and sent to the ER with high fevers, incoherent, coughing, etc.

Since the ascent of Bush 43, we have had active TB, histoplasmosis, HIV, malaria, and other diseases arriving direct through the refugee process.

I have no idea if the system is overwhelmed, has been ordered to stand down, or some combination of both.

All I know is that the screening that used to occur overseas either no longer happens, or is being ignored for selected cases.

[kingu]

A total of about 1,900 Syrian refugees have been resettled in the United States in the past two years, all of them brought directly from camps and settlements in countries surrounding Syria. Carrigan and others said none of them had been part of the wave of migrants coming through Europe. The 1,900 are a tiny fraction of the 200,000 living near Syria who have been approved for resettlement in the United States. The International Rescue Committee, based in New York, has resettled about 250 of them.

So now that the public are rebelling against this plan, SUDDENLY, the feds actually think to, you know, tell us where these folks are coming from. And you know, honestly, I am far less against resettlement FROM refugee camps who have been there for a long time.

Why wouldn't this information be up front in any communication about it? Probably so they can just change where the 'refugees' come from at a moment's notice. 'Oh, well, yes, these refugees are coming from the flood of illegals invading Europe, but the ones we originally resettled were people who applied and waited years to get in.'

[Jim Noble]

Congress needs to come up immediately with a bill to totally reject Syrian ‘refugees’

Congress has nothing to do with it. These people are arriving pursuant to a treaty which has been ratified by the Senate and is binding on the States.

It WOULD be useful to re-start overseas screening, which is permitted by the treaty.

[rolling_stone]

these are not legitimate refugees, they are an invading force..the us govt must repel the invasion or the states can...

we need to get off our duffs and do something start screaming taxation without representation the people dont want these people and they want illegals deported Congress and DC is not listening

non violent civil disobedience...

[PhiloBedo]

I would play nice and ask the Feds to provide details (arrival times and places ) of the refugees. Then I would have the State Police escort them to a chartered plane to fly them back to their last country of departure. And confiscate their US Visas.

[CPT Clay]

I beg to differ, if 37 states agree on something, it is the law of the land.

[snooter55]

BFLR

[CPT Clay]

80 million gun owners with over 180 million guns. Hmm that is only 2.5 per gun owner. I guess FReepers ain’t average.