White House, governors discuss Syrian refugees

US lawmakers called on Wednesday (October 18) 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.

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.

Earlier in the day, a background call was held for reporters. They said that vetting process gathers basic biographical information as well as biometric information such as fingerprints.

“Certainly there has always been resistance to accepting refugees or immigrants”, Collins said. That includes lengthy interviews conducted by specially trained staff. Among Republicans, it was 64 percent to 27 percent in favor of sending troops; among Democrats, it was 59 percent to 31 percent against sending them.

The White House has pushed back on the Republican fears, with Obama rebuking the concern about security risks as “hysteria”.

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. Decisions on refugee status belong to the federal government, and once people are admitted to the United States, there is no method to bar people of a certain nationality from any state.

In an op-ed for Time on Tuesday, Snyder wrote in part, “Our state must be open to the people looking to rebuild shattered lives”.

“I’ve done many, many things to make sure that people who find themselves in the shadows are taken care of”. According to the State Department, about 1,800 Syrians have been resettled in the US since January.

Those groups who help refugees resettle warned state governors like Abbott that their actions could separate families and cause irreparable harm to public sentiment toward refugees. His press secretary added “that MI stands ready to work with them on that process”.

“I heard from White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and other federal officials today about the stringent vetting process that foreign refugees go through before ever entering the United States”, said Governor Walker.