Obama Thanksgiving Address: Syrian Refugees Are Like Pilgrims, Deserve

He said our greatness comes from all those who volunteer at food banks and shelters all year to make sure no one goes hungry.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) sent a just such a letter to state agencies on Wednesday, warning states that they can not refuse to accept, or deny benefits to refugees fleeing the war-torn Middle East. The letter was sent after 31 states – 30 of them with Republican governors – announced publicly that they will not allow refugees fleeing ISIS in Syria or Iraq to resettle in their states. The governors of 31 states, all but one Republicans, have blocked any Syrian refugees from entering their states.

President Obama Thursday used his Thanksgiving address to lecture Americans about generosity, suggesting opposition to admitting Syrian refugees stems from a lack of it and comparing the Syrians to the Pilgrims. But with the Federal Bureau of Investigation saying they can’t vet all Syrian refugees completely, and evidence that some refugees are, in fact, radicalized jihadists, the president’s assurances ring hollow.

The legislation would mandate the top security executives – Federal Bureau of Investigation director, the Department of Homeland Security director, and the director of national intelligence – to make sure that US has no security risk from refugees who will be admitted.

Condemning what many perceive as a threat posed by the possibility that jihadists could enter the United States disguised as refugees, Obama again underscored the already stringent vetting process that asylum seekers must undertake.

World Relief’s vice president of advocacy and policy, Jenny Yang, also appeared on Hashtag VOA, and said her organization works with businesses and religious groups around the country to provide Syrian refugees with jobs and welcoming communities. “I feel from a small town we’ve done what we can do”.

Watch the president’s Thanksgiving address below. In fact, the Pilgrims’ land patent made them entrepreneurs, not refugees. “But helping Christians doesn’t have to come at the expense of other refugees like Muslims who also are persecuted”, she said.

Obama’s determination to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees has garnered much political criticism from the right wing, especially in light of the recent terror attacks.

Elderly, blind or disabled refugees may be eligible for cash assistance through the Supplemental Security Income program for up to nine years.

A Bloomberg poll from last week suggested that more than half, or 53 percent of Americans, share the same concerns and would oppose taking in more Syrian refugees. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure upon return and Obama has promised to issue a veto, according to The Hill.