Paris attacks stoke fears at home over Syrian refugees

In Manila, where he is attending the 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Obama criticized the “rhetoric” of Republican Party leaders over the refugee crisis, accusing them of being “scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America”. Many people are wondering if state governments actually have the right to deny Syrian refugees. But if a state agency decides to provide those services to one group of refugees, they have to provide it to them all.

She reiterated that refugee resettlement is completely funded by the federal government, so it’s unclear what power governors have in refusing refugees into their states. The White House said the call lasted 90 minutes and was led by Obama’s chief of staff, Denis McDonough.

House Speaker-elect Paul Ryan is congratulated by members of the House as he enters the House Chamber after winning the votes neccessary to become the next Speaker of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington October 29, 2015.

Ryan has won the support of half of USA state governors in urging President Barack Obama to suspend the refugee scheme, which aims to admit 10-thousand Syrians in fiscal year 2016 which began October 1.

“When individuals say we should have a religious test and that only Christians, proven Christians, should be admitted, that’s offensive”, Obama said Wednesday.

Mohammed Almukhalalate worries his sister, shown here, may not be able to join their family, because Abbott wants to stop Syrian refugees from coming to Texas.

The governors, mostly Republican, have pressed for bans in their states since it emerged one of the Paris attackers may have entered Europe with migrants.

The congressmen sent a letter to the president, asking the administration to halt the acceptance of refugees from Syria and Iraq until more stringent security screening measures are in place for would-be immigrants.

“Refugees, and refugees from this region specifically, already undergo a far more rigorous screening process than anyone else seeking admission to this country, including background checks, national security vetting, biometric identifiers and interviews”, the three Democrats argued. The governors of MI and Alabama said Sunday that they would similarly prevent such resettlement in their states. “And to the extent they don’t get through – then they won’t come into this country”, Kaine said.

Days after the terrorist attacks in France, governors across the United States have said they won’t allow Syrian refugees to seek asylum in certain states, including Ohio. Experts say USA intelligence in Syria isn’t very good, because the US lacks much of a presence on the ground.