State Governors Refuse to Accept Syrian Refugees After Paris Attack

In September, the US government pledged to accept 15,000 Syrian refugees beginning in October of 2015, and a total of 85,000 were expected to be within our borders by 2016. Shortly after the devastating terrorist attack struck Paris last week, President Obama reaffirmed his intent to bring in more refugees, despite widespread fears that many of these people may be terrorists.

However, governors from multiple states are refusing to house these refugees, including Texas Governor Greg Abbot who issued a statement to Obama on Monday saying, “Effective today, I am directing the Texas Health & Human Services Commission’s Refugee Resettlement Program to not participate in the resettlement of any Syrian refugees in the State of Texas.” The governors from Michigan and Alabama were the first to refuse, with governor “Rick” Snyder stating in his letter that “Michigan is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of immigration, But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents.”

So far these states have been joined by the governors of Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois, and Massachusetts, who have also issued similar statements. According to Indiana Governor Mike Pence, the federal government needs to take extra precautions before any refugees are accepted. “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.”