Obama admin says states lack authority to block refugees

The official figures were released as the Office of Refugee Resettlement told resettlement officials that states can not deny benefits and services to refugees based on their nationality or religion, meaning Syrians can not be discriminated against.

USA advocates for Syrian refugees are intensifying a campaign to boost public support for resettling them in the United States, as opinion polls suggest more than half of US citizens oppose the resettlement program.

“ORR is aware that state and local leaders, including some governors, have expressed concern about the resettlement of Syrian refugees in their states”.

Referring to safety considerations, Obama stated in Thursday’s message that “individuals ought to keep in mind that no refugee can enter our borders till they bear the very best safety checks of anybody travelling to america”.

“We don’t know who they are”.

“States may not categorically deny ORR-funded benefits and services to Syrian refugees, reads the ORR letter”. According to the International Refugee Assistance Project, those Iraqi translators are among the 58,000 or more Iraqis who worked with the U.S. They are still awaiting for visa processing.

Obama’s plan to accept 10,000 refugees from Syria has drawn political criticism since the attack in Paris two weeks ago that killed 130 people, and for which Islamic State claimed responsibility.

The American virtue of “generosity” needs to put on full display in the welcoming refugees. LUPICA: OBAMA SHOULD LEAD, NOT WHINE, IN FIGHT AGAINST ISIS Obama stated he’s been inundated by letters & emails from Americans providing to take Syrians fleeing ISIS in to their homes. Rather, they want to prevent people from entering the country who might blow it up. “But it’s also a day to count our blessings and give back to others – a reminder that no matter our circumstances, all of us have something to be grateful for”, he said.

But Obama has insisted the USA will remain a welcoming place for refugees from around the world. “In light go these concerns, we note that the resettlement process begins with the work of our federal agency partners in screening and vetting refugees”, Carey wrote.

U.S. President Barack Obama gestures during a press conference following the G20 summit in Antalya on November 16, 2015. The U.S. costs primarily include government fees to resettlement groups that pay for refugee housing, transportation and other expenses, as well as welfare payments to refugees themselves.

Obama has promised to veto the bill in the unlikely event it manages to pass in the Senate.