McCrory gets lawmaker support for refugee stance

McCrory is one of 27 state leaders who oppose admitting Syrian refugees into their states in the wake of Friday’s terror attacks in Paris.

Concerns over the influx of refugees gained momentum over the weekend after the terrorist attacks in Paris, when a Syrian passport was found by the side of one of the attackers.

He was a Christian Syrian fleeing persecution from Muslim extremists.

A representative from World Relief, the organization that helped Syrian refugees come to North Carolina and Georgia, said governors are making the wrong decision.

McCrory said he will be in touch with other governors who made similar statements.

McCrory says there are major gaps in the security checks on refugees coming from Syria, and “I’ve got a responsibility to ensure that people coming into our state are safe”.

“This is potential terrorism actually, that we are concerned about at this point in time”, said McCrory. “Thank you so much for what you have done for the people of SC, thank you for the great friendship and partnership that we have between SC and North Carolina, and your service definitely does not go unnoticed”.

McCrory signed the letter along with 26 other governors including Alabama, Arkansas, SC and Tennessee.

“For someone whose experience with the government in the past has been with a very harsh, violent government and have been really traumatized by the experience, it can instill a lot of fear, which is why a lot of refugees are very afraid right now”, he said. He said the concern was that a few terrorists would pose as refugees to gain access to the country. “We are asking for more additional collaboration and basic information, such as where these refugees are now residing”.

McCrory says top state officials are now examining legal options if the President does not heed the request of the governors.

A group of North Carolina sheriffs sent a notice of support against accepting refugees without proper vetting on the same day that members of Congress voted for a tougher screening process. The terrorists, we think can be filtered out if it is done properly.

Experts maintain there is little to no legal footing for states to reject refugees.