Calls to Reject Syrian Refugees in New York Reach Fever Pitch
As the United States and the rest of the world continue to reel from the terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris, France two weeks ago, calls to stop Syrian refugees from entering the nation have built to a scream over the last week.
Republicans like New York State Senators Sue Serino and Terrence Murphy, and state Assemblyman Steve Katz all called to suspend refugees from settling within New York borders, as did many other Republican state lawmakers. More than 30 states have announced they’ll refuse to accept Syrian refugees, many of them led by Republican governors. President Barack Obama has committed allowing 10,000 Syrian refugees to enter the country next year.
According to a CNN report, the law is against states refusing refugees. An American University law professor, Stephen I. Vladeck, said states have no legal bearing to stop refugees from entering a certain state, but those states that don’t want to participate in the resettlement can refuse to cooperate making things harder for the federal government.
Serino said since Nov. 16–the first business day since the Paris attacks—her office had been “inundated” with phone calls and inquiries from community members concerned over the nation’s security. While sympathetic to thousands of refugees seeking another country after they were uprooted by violence, the nation’s first priority should be to citizens within the US borders, Serino said.
“The first obligation of any government is ensuring the safety and security of its people, and any plans to allow an influx of Syrian refugees should be suspended because of the serious concerns that have been raised regarding the effectiveness of the vetting process to prevent terrorists from entering the United States,” Serino said in a statement.
Murphy, in a statement, said it is “abundantly clear” that the federal government is unable to guarantee refugees entering the country pose no threat and aren’t involved with ISIS, the terror group that killed 129 people in Paris. Until there is a “clear process” in place to fully vet refugees’ backgrounds, none should be accepted in the state.
“While we grieve for those lost on Friday evening (Nov. 13), we must begin a thorough process of reevaluating our own security measures here at home,” Murphy stated. “We face a major national security issue stemming from illegal immigration. Four of the 9/11 hijackers were illegal immigrants on visa overstays.”
Katz said in a statement the director of the FBI, James Comey, had previously outlined the difficulties with performing background checks of all refugees. Instead, Katz believes the country should provide humanitarian aid to those people affected by the Syrian Civil War.
“It would only take one extremist to slip through our filter to wreak havoc in our state,” Katz stated. “There is too great a risk considering the lack of a proper vetting procedure. I am urging Gov. Cuomo to join the growing list of states refusing Syrian refugees.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has held firm New York plans on welcoming refugees coming from a war-torn part of the world, according to reports.
