27 States Say, “No more refugees!”
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, December 18, 2015 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
The November 16th CNN article said “More than half the nation’s governors say Syrian refugees not welcome,” and listed the 27 states whose governors have good reason to feel that way. At least one of the Paris terrorists entered Europe among the wave of Syrian refugees.
Governor Nathan Deal said Georgia will not accept Syrian refugees “until the federal government and Congress conduct a thorough review of current screening procedures and background checks.” But, this is the problem: The 1980 Refugee Act gave the federal government power to place refugees anywhere in the country.
American University law professor Stephen Vladeck put it this way, “…A state can’t say it is legally objecting, but it can refuse to cooperate, which makes things much more difficult.”
Alabama’s Governor Bentley said, “After full consideration of this weekend’s attacks of terror on innocent citizens in Paris, I will oppose any attempt to relocate Syrian refugees to Alabama through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. …I will not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harm’s way.”While 27 state governors oppose the program, in a letter to President Obama18 U.S. mayors expressed support for more refugees. This is part of that letter: “We will welcome the Syrian families to make homes and new lives in our cities. … [W]e stand ready to work with your administration … to increase still further the number of Syrian refugees the U.S. will accept for resettlement. …We have taken in refugees, and will help make room for thousands more …we stand ready to support the Administration in increasing the numbers of refugees we can accept.”
Two southern mayors signed that letter – Clarkston, Georgia Mayor Edward Terry and the mayor of Chapel Hill, N.C.
Although Athens Mayor Nancy Denson officially disapproved refugee resettlement in a letter last year to appropriate authorities, clergy from eight Athens churches contradicted her by offering their support in a meeting with the International Rescue Committee executive director. Concerning the situation in Athens, the executive director said, “If [last year’s proposal] hadn’t played out so publicly, no one would even have noticed that it had happened.”
In other words, if refugees had been resettled “under the radar,” opposition would not have erupted. That’s how they’re doing it all over the country, and local residents don’t know until it’s too late! For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.