Posted on 11/16/2015 9:47:39 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
"Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values," [Obama] said.
Six Republican governors have announced that Syrian refugees won't be allowed to resettle in their states in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in Paris.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley issued statements Sunday saying that they wanted to prioritize the safety of the residents in their states. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a GOP presidential candidate; Arkansas Gov. Gov. Asa Hutchinson; and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence joined them on Monday.
"Michigan is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of immigration," Snyder said, according to the Detroit Free Press. "But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents."
The governor had previously said he was working with the Obama administration on plans to resettle Syrian refugees, with at least 200 already relocated by one agency, according to the newspaper.
Snyder said his state wouldn't allow for any Syrian refugees until the Department of Homeland Security reviewed its procedures for accepting migrants, according to the Free Press.
Alabama currently has a single refugee processing center, in Mobile, approved by the State Department, but it hasn't relocated any Syrian refugees, according to Bentley's office.
âThe acts of terror committed over the weekend are a tragic reminder to the world that evil exists and takes the form of terrorists who seek to destroy the basic freedoms we will always fight to preserve," Bentley said in his statement.
"I will not place Alabamians at even the slightest, possible risk of an attack on our people," he added.
"The threat posed to Texas by ISIS is very real," Abbott wrote in a letter Monday urging President Obama to halt his plans, pointing to a foiled ISIS-inspired plot in Garland, Texas, in May, among other incidents.
"A Syrian 'refugee' appears to have been part of the Paris terror attack. American humanitarian compassion could be exploited to expose Americans to similar deadly danger," Abbott wrote.
"All departments, budget units, agencies, offices, entities, and officers of the executive branch of the State of Louisiana are authorized and directed to utilize all lawful means to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the State of Louisiana while this Order is in effect," Jindal wrote in an executive order issued Monday.
"The Louisiana State Police, upon receiving information of a Syrian refugee already relocated within the State of Louisiana, are authorized and directed to utilize all lawful means to monitor and avert threats within the State of Louisiana," he added.
"As Governor I will oppose Syrian refugees being relocated to Arkansas," Hutchinson tweeted.
"Indiana has a long tradition of opening our arms and homes to refugees from around the world but, as governor, my first responsibility is to ensure the safety and security of all Hoosiers," Pence wrote in a statement. "Unless and until the state of Indiana receives assurances that proper security measures are in place, this policy will remain in full force and effect."
A top aide to Obama said Sunday that the Obama administration still plans to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S. over the next year despite the Paris attacks.
"We had very robust vetting procedures for those refugees," White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said on Fox News.
"There are women and children, orphans of this war, and I think we need to do our part along with our allies to provide them a safe haven," Rhodes added.
The plan to allow the Syrian refugees into the U.S. has faced fresh criticism after the attack that left 129 dead and hundreds more injured. At least one suspect reportedly slipped into France among asylum seekers.
Obama maintained during remarks earlier Monday at the G-20 meeting in Turkey that the U.S. would continue to accept the refugees, including Syrians, only after "rigorous" security screenings.
"Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values," he said.
The list grows and grows.
God bless Texas.
I knew I loved the South.
NOT slamming the door would be a betrayal of our citizens.
this is the way..to get it done!!
Thanks!
TEXAS says NO!! Good!
Still down on Trump?
Anyways: Where is my beloved state of Georgia?
Virginia’s governor will take ‘em all, as long as the vote D (and aren’t settled anywhere near his gated community).
Begs the question- which state wants them?
our values? our values?
This guy is insane.
www.house.gov
www.senate.gov
Call your reps and tell them not one Syrian refugee is to be admitted to the USA.
You do not want another 9/11.
You do not want another Paris ...this time on our soil.
For the morons in DC who say we need to take our fair share of refugees, our fair share was 7,000 dead men and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 50,000 wounded warriors.
That was our fair share.
The Arabs with all their oil money can take care of their brothers.
Not our problem.
Make the call. It is time the jerks in DC are reminded who the bosses of this country really are.
How exactly will they stop them once they arrive?
Send them all to New York City and Washington DC.
Was wondering about that myself.
Whete is Arizona?
I called Maryland Governor Hogan’s office today to ask hi t join the list.
It took a long time for them to answer the phone.
".....Obama showed frustration with multiple questions about whether he underestimated the threat posed by ISIS against Western nations.
The president sniped at reporters who asked him why the U.S. isn't doing more to fight the group in the Middle East. "I just spent the last three questions answering that question," he told one...."
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