Two conservative governors are closing their states to Syrian refugees in the wake of the Paris attacks, suggesting that terrorists would try to infiltrate their borders through refugee programs.
“Given the terrible situation in Paris, I’ve directed that we put on hold our efforts to accept new refugees until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security completes a full review of security clearances and procedures,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) said in a statement released by his office on Sunday.
Alabama Gov. Richard Bentley (R) followed Snyder’s lead Sunday night. “As your governor, I will not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harm’s way,” Bentley said. “I will not place Alabamians at even the slightest, possible risk of an attack on our people.”
According to Buzzfeed, no Syrian refugees have actually been settled in Alabama.
On Sunday, the Obama administration reaffirmed its commitment to take in 10,000 refugees, who are fleeing devastation and death tolls that match the scale of the Paris attacks every day.
But the fearmongering over terrorists posing as refugees has reached a fever pitch after it was discovered that one of the Paris attackers had entered the country as a Syrian refugee. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) took the opportunity to call for more surveillance in Muslim communities in the U.S. The NYPD’s illegal surveillance of Muslims after the 9/11 attacks did not stop a single terrorist attack or yield any pertinent information about terrorists’ plans. But it did incite “psychological warfare” on hundreds of mosque attendees, students, and community members.
Muslim communities in Snyder’s state are already facing threats from people on social media. “Dearborn, MI has the highest Muslim population in the United States. Let’s f — — that place up and send a message to ISIS. We’re coming,” one person tweeted.
Dearborn is often accused of being a terrorist enclave by right-wing lawmakers and Fox News, which has run several segments with no basis in fact claiming that the city is governed by shariah law and bans non-Muslims from entering.
Meanwhile, Dearborn is mourning its own victims to ISIS. Three Dearborn residents were killed in the terrorist organization’s attacks on Beirut, which took at least 43 lives the day before the Paris attacks. The explosion in Beirut killed a mother of four who had recently become a permanent resident in the U.S., as well as a Michigan couple whose 3-year-old son was also seriously injured in the blast. A relative told the Detroit News that “the child continuously asks about his parents in the hospital and still remembers the impact.”
Update:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also sent a letter to Obama Monday saying he would refuse any efforts to bring Syrian refugees to Texas. “Given the tragic attacks in Paris and the threats we have already seen, Texas cannot participate in any program that will result in Syrian refugees — any one of whom could be connected to terrorism — being resettled in Texas,” Governor Abbott wrote in the letter.
Houston has the largest refugee population of any American city and was supposed to receive a large share of the incoming Syrian refugees by the end of 2016.
Update:
Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) of Arkansas also announced Monday he would refuse to resettle Syrian refugees in his state.
As Governor I will oppose Syrian refugees being relocated to Arkansas.
— Gov. Asa Hutchinson (@AsaHutchinson) November 16, 2015
Update:
Presidential candidate and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) issued an executive order Monday to prevent Syrian refugees from settling in the state.
NOW: Governor @BobbyJindal issues Executive Order to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the State of Louisiana. #4WWL
— WWL-TV (@WWLTV) November 16, 2015