Obama decries attempts to block Syrian refugees from U.S.

After an initial meeting of the House GOP task force Tuesday, aides to Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the focus of legislation would be on stopping Syrian refugee resettlement until the administration can offer assurances that no terrorists are being admitted, including via FBI background investigations.

“There will be hard days ahead for the people of France and they remain in our thoughts and prayers”, said Snyder, whose state is home to one of America’s largest concentration of inhabitants from the Middle East.

Refugee nonprofit groups also backed what they call the rigorous security measures now in place to admit refugees into the US because they, too, deal with them on a daily basis.

The Obama administration said Wednesday evening that the American SAFE Act does not offer any meaningful security protection for the American people.

“We also have to remember that many of these refugees are victims of terrorism themselves”, he told reporters.

The USA has admitted only about 2,500 Syrians since the civil war began in that country in spring 2011, but officials in Obama’s administration want to admit 10,000 more.

State officials including Governor Greg Abbott continue to push the federal government to stop allowing Syrian refugees in to the country.

U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday (18 November) called for even tighter scrutiny of Syrian refugees fleeing to the United States as last week’s deadly Paris attacks recast America’s debate over immigration and national security. Government agents do lengthy, face-to-face interviews with applicants at refugee camps and regional centers, according to the White House.

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said he would put forward a bill to suspend the resettlement program. “We are not well served when in response to a terrorist attack we descend into fear and panic”, he said. Obama said he’s been waiting for a year and a half for lawmakers to take up refugee legislation, questioning why they are now suddenly in a rush.

The new Speaker of the House, Republican Paul Ryan, called Tuesday for a “pause” in the intake of Syrian refugees.

The Chicago organization Refugee One says the governor’s office has asked for information about future arrivals of Syrian refugees.

Despite this history, Collins said she still believes the USA has a responsibility to assist with the influx of displaced persons.

“Many of us on the City Council have expressed the opinion that Gov. Rauner has no legal authority to block Syrian refugees fleeing violence from being placed in IL”, Ald.