DETROIT (AP) \u2014 Several U.S. governors are threatening to halt efforts to allow Syrian refugees into their states in the aftermath of the coordinated attacks in Paris, though immigration experts say under the Refugee Act of 1980 governors cannot legally block refugees from settling in their communities.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at where some state governors stand, and the number (in parentheses) of Syrian refugees who have arrived in each state since Jan. 1, according to the U.S. State Department\u2019s Refugee Processing Center:<\/p>\n
ALABAMA (0)<\/p>\n
Republican Gov. Robert Bentley announced Sunday that he would refuse Syrian refugees relocating to the state, saying: \u201cI will not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harm\u2019s way.\u201d Bentley\u2019s news release said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency was diligently working with federal officials to monitor any possible threats. There has been no credible intelligence of terror threats in Alabama so far, according to the governor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
ALASKA (0)<\/p>\n
The oil-dependent state is grappling with an estimated budget deficit of $3.5 billion amid low oil prices, and Gov. Bill Walker, a Republican turned independent, \u201chas been focused on solving the state\u2019s fiscal challenges,\u201d spokeswoman Katie Marquette said by email Monday. She said Walker has not given any consideration to trying to stop Syrian refugees from settling in the state.<\/p>\n
ARIZONA (153)<\/p>\n
Gov. Doug Ducey is calling for an immediate halt to the placement of any new refugees from the Middle East. And Ducey made it clear that the state is within its legal rights to do so, saying that he is invoking the state\u2019s right under federal law to immediately consult with U.S. officials on any new refugee placements. He also wants Congress to change the law to give states more oversight over refugee placement. Ducey says national leaders must react to protect its citizens.<\/p>\n
ARKANSAS (0)<\/p>\n
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he opposes Syrian refugees being relocated to Arkansas. Hutchinson, a former undersecretary of the federal Department of Homeland Security, said he doesn\u2019t believe the United States should be a permanent place of relocation for the refugees and that he thinks Europe, Asia or Africa are logically the best places for resettlement or temporary asylum.<\/p>\n
CALIFORNIA (218)<\/p>\n
Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown says he\u2019ll work closely with President Barack Obama to ensure any Syrian refugees coming to California are \u201cfully vetted in a sophisticated and utterly reliable way.\u201d He says the state can help uphold America\u2019s traditional role as a place of asylum while also protecting Californians.<\/p>\n
COLORADO (5)<\/p>\n
Colorado\u2019s governor isn\u2019t ruling out Syrian refugees in the wake of terror attacks in Paris. But Gov. John Hickenlooper said Monday the federal government needs to make sure the verification process for refugees is \u201cas stringent as possible.\u201d Colorado has received no Syrian refugees, according to state officials.<\/p>\n
CONNECTICUT (42)<\/p>\n
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says Connecticut will continue to accept refugees from Syria. The Democrat told NBC Connecticut on Monday the state is committed to accepting the refugees and believes background checks could easily be performed and his spokesman, Devon Puglia, said the administration is continuing to work with federal officials and await guidance as \u201cthey develop procedures following the tragedy in Paris.\u201d<\/p>\n
FLORIDA (104)<\/p>\n
Gov. Rick Scott is calling on Congress to block attempts by the Obama administration to relocate Syrian refugees to Florida. The Republican governor on Monday wrote a letter to congressional leaders that asked them to take \u201cimmediate and aggressive action\u201d to prevent the relocation of Syrian refugees without an \u201cextensive evaluation\u201d of the risk the refugees may pose to national security.<\/p>\n
GEORGIA (57)<\/p>\n
Gov. Nathan Deal says the state will not accept Syrian refugees. Deal, a Republican, says he issued an executive order on Monday directing state officials to prevent resettlement of Syrian refugees in Georgia. He also asked the Obama administration to work with Georgia officials to confirm the backgrounds of Syrian refugees already resettled in Georgia.<\/p>\n
HAWAII (0)<\/p>\n
Hawaii Gov. David Ige says his state would welcome refugees from Syria with aloha. Ige says safety is his first priority, but that the U.S. accepts refugees only after conducting the highest level of screening and security checks.<\/p>\n
IDAHO (27)<\/p>\n
Gov. C.L. \u201cButch\u201d Otter has joined a growing number of Republican governors calling for the immediate halt of resettling new refugees until vetting rules can be reviewed and state concerns about the program can be addressed.<\/p>\n
ILLINOIS (131)<\/p>\n
Gov. Bruce Rauner joined the growing list of Republican governors who announced they want to prevent Syrian refugees from relocating in their states. In a statement issued Monday, Rauner said the state will \u201ctemporarily suspend accepting new Syrian refugees and consider all of our legal options pending a full review of the process by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.\u201d<\/p>\n
INDIANA (18)<\/p>\n
Republican Gov. Mike Pence announced Monday that he was ordering state agencies to suspend the relocation of any more Syrian refugees to the state until he received assurances from the federal government that proper security measures had been taken.<\/p>\n
IOWA (0)<\/p>\n
Saying he wants to protect residents of his state in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris, Gov. Terry Branstad acknowledged that governors might not be have the legal authority to prevent the Syrian refugees from relocating to their states because \u201cthis is a federal program.\u201d Still, the Republican says he wants more information from the federal government about where people are being placed and the vetting process.<\/p>\n
KANSAS (8)<\/p>\n
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback issued an executive order Monday directing that no state agency, or organization receiving grant money from the state, shall participate or assist in the relocation of Syrian refugee<\/p>\n
KENTUCKY (99)<\/p>\n
Kentucky\u2019s incoming Republican governor has joined governors of several states in opposing the resettlement of Syrian refugees. Republican Gov.-elect Matt Bevin\u2019s stance is at odds with Kentucky\u2019s current governor. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear says Kentucky should do \u201cthe Christian thing\u201d and welcome all refugees who have passed extensive background checks.<\/p>\n
LOUISIANA (14)<\/p>\n
Gov. Bobby Jindal \u2014 a GOP presidential contender \u2014 said he wants more information from the White House \u201cin hopes that the night of horror in Paris is not duplicated here.\u201d Jindal sent a letter to the White House on Saturday, demanding to know how many Syrian refugees have been resettled in his state. He also wants to know the extent of background screening before Syrians entered the U.S. United States as well as what monitoring would be done once the refugees make it to Louisiana.<\/p>\n
MAINE (0)<\/p>\n
Gov. Paul LePage says it is \u201cirresponsible\u201d to allow Syrian refugees into the country in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris. The Republican governor, who said he does \u201cnot know for certain\u201d if Maine has any Syrian refugees right now, plans to point out in a radio address on Monday that one of his first actions as governor was to prevent Maine from serving as a \u201csanctuary state\u201d for people living in the country without legal permission.<\/p>\n
MARYLAND (31)<\/p>\n
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says the state will \u201cmake a very reasoned and careful decision\u201d about how it will proceed in policy regarding potential Syrian refugees. The Republican governor said Monday the issue is one that \u201cwe\u2019ll be looking at very closely.\u201d<\/p>\n
MASSACHUSETTS (62)<\/p>\n
Gov. Charlie Baker says he\u2019s opposed to allowing more Syrian refugees into Massachusetts in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris and that he wants to know much more about the federal government\u2019s vetting process before allowing them into the state. Democratic Boston Mayor also says he wants to know about how the federal government screens refugees.<\/p>\n
MICHIGAN (195)<\/p>\n
Gov. Rick Snyder had bucked many fellow Republican leaders by welcoming refugees to Michigan, which has a large Arab-American population. But he said Sunday that the state is postponing efforts to accept refugees until federal officials fully review security procedures and clearances. Snyder said that while he is proud of the state\u2019s history of immigration, its \u201cfirst priority is protecting the safety of our residents.\u201d<\/p>\n
MINNESOTA (7)<\/p>\n
Gov. Mark Dayton isn\u2019t objecting to the possible placement of Syrian refugees in his state as long as they undergo rigorous screening first. The Democrat released a statement Monday saying he\u2019s been assured by the White House that any refugees from Syria would be \u201csubject to the highest level of security checks of any category of traveler to the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n
MISSISSIPPI (0)<\/p>\n
Gov. Phil Bryant said Monday that he\u2019s trying to find out if there are any plans by the federal government to relocate any Syrian refugees in the state and if there are the Republican said he will \u201cdo everything humanly possible\u201d to stop it.<\/p>\n
MISSOURI (29)<\/p>\n
Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon says it\u2019s up to the federal government to screen refugees and is calling for safeguards following deadly terror attacks in Paris. But in a statement Monday, Nixon didn\u2019t say he\u2019d block Syrian refugees from settling in Missouri. Three Republican candidates for governor want Nixon to do so, citing safety concerns.<\/p>\n
MONTANA (0)<\/p>\n
Gov. Steve Bullock said Monday the state \u201cwill not allow any terrorist organization to intimidate us into abandoning our values.\u201d State officials are reviewing the existing protocols for considering refugee settlement requests and if there are any safety concerns, the refugees will be denied, he said.<\/p>\n
NEBRASKA (0)<\/p>\n
Gov. Pete Ricketts says he does not want Syrian refugees resettling in Nebraska until the federal government conducts a full review of its screening procedures to ensure public safety. The Republican sent a letter Monday to refugee resettlement agencies in the state, urging them not to pursue resettlement of the refugees in light of the terrorist attacks in Paris.<\/p>\n
NEW HAMPSHIRE (3)<\/p>\n
New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan says the United States should halt the acceptance of Syrian refugees until intelligence and defense officials can assure a strong process for vetting refugees. Hassan also says more facts are needed on how the attackers got into Paris before the United States takes more Syrian refugees.<\/p>\n
NEW JERSEY (75)<\/p>\n
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he\u2019s opposed to any Syrian refugees entering the country \u2014 even infant orphans. Christie\u2019s comments came during conservative host Hugh Hewitt\u2019s radio show. They were a complete reversal from September, when the Republican presidential contender said U.S. should \u201cplay their role\u201d in taking in refugees without committing to a specific number after a photograph of a dead migrant child humanized the migrant influx.<\/p>\n
NEW MEXICO (0)<\/p>\n
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez says she\u2019s opposed to the Obama administration\u2019s plan to accept any more Syrian refugees until there\u2019s a clear plan in place to properly vet and place them. Martinez, the nation\u2019s only Latina governor and a leader within the Republican Governors Association, says the top priority should be safety.<\/p>\n
NORTH CAROLINA (23)<\/p>\n
Gov. Pat McCrory is asking the Obama administration to cease sending refugees from Syria to North Carolina until the state is satisfied with the effectiveness of federal background and security checks.<\/p>\n
NORTH DAKOTA (0)<\/p>\n
The office of Gov. Jack Dalrymple says North Dakota has not received any Syrian refugees and doesn\u2019t expect any will be sent to the state.<\/p>\n
OHIO (78)<\/p>\n
Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, doesn\u2019t want Ohio or the United States to accept more Syrian refugees. Spokesman Jim Lynch says the Republican presidential candidate is writing to ask President Barack Obama to stop resettling Syrian refugees in Ohio because safety and security issues can\u2019t adequately be addressed. Kasich also is reviewing steps Ohio might take to stop resettlement.<\/p>\n
OKLAHOMA (3)<\/p>\n
Republican Gov. Gov. Mary Fallin is urging President Barack Obama to suspend accepting any Syrian refugees to the U.S. Fallin said Monday the Obama administration needs to assure the public that it is conducting rigorous background checks on any Syrian refugees coming into the U.S.<\/p>\n
PENNSYLVANIA (119)<\/p>\n
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf said his administration will keep working with the federal government to properly screen and resettle Syrian refugees in the state.<\/p>\n
RHODE ISLAND (0)<\/p>\n
Gov. Gina Raimondo said in September she\u2019s willing to help if the federal government asks Rhode Island to host Syrian refugees. Raimondo\u2019s spokeswoman says the governor would coordinate closely with the White House and law enforcement if the state receives a request now.<\/p>\n
SOUTH CAROLINA (0)<\/p>\n
Gov. Nikki Haley says she\u2019s re-evaluating international refugee programs in light of the terrorist attacks in Paris but continues to support allowing the persecuted to come to South Carolina. She says no Syrians have been brought to South Carolina. She says refugees from other nations in South Carolina have been persecuted for being Christians, for their political views or because they were interpreters for American military personnel.<\/p>\n
SOUTH DAKOTA (0)<\/p>\n
Gov. Dennis Daugaard\u2019s office says it doesn\u2019t expect to receive any Syrian refugees. Spokesman Tony Venhuizen says it\u2019s not at all clear that the state would have any say over the refugee program, which the federal government manages.<\/p>\n
TENNESSEE (30)<\/p>\n
Gov. Bill Haslam says he is asking the federal government to suspend placement of Syrian refugees in Tennessee. In a statement released to media on Monday, Haslam acknowledges that the federal government has the authority to place refugees but states \u201cthey have said in the past they would be open to cooperating with receiving states.\u201d<\/p>\n
TEXAS (194)<\/p>\n
Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday ordered Texas\u2019 refugee resettlement program not to accept any more Syrians in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks. In a letter to Obama, the Republican also urged scrapping federal plans to accept more Syrian refugees into the country as a whole. He said the federal government can\u2019t perform \u201cproper security checks\u201d on Syrians.<\/p>\n
UTAH (7)<\/p>\n
Gov. Gary Herbert is ordering a review of security checks for refugees coming to Utah on the heels of the last week\u2019s attacks in Paris, but he stopped short of threatening to stop accepting Syrian refugees. Herbert said he wants to help those fleeing violence but that public safety is the top priority.<\/p>\n
VERMONT (0)<\/p>\n
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin says his colleagues across the nation who say they won\u2019t allow Syrian refugees into their states are \u201cstomping on the qualities that make America great.\u201d Shumlin says there is an extensive screening process in place for refugees. Since 1989 about 7,000 refugees have been resettled in Vermont and while none of them are from Syria, there are plans to settle a small number in the state during the current fiscal year.<\/p>\n
VIRGINIA (13)<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Virginia\u2019s governor says his public safety team is communicating with federal authorities about refugee resettlements, including those involving Syrians. Brian Coy issued the statement Monday on behalf of Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. The statement says every refugee settled in the U.S. undergoes intensive security screening.<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (22)<\/p>\n
Gov. Jay Inslee says Washington state will welcome Syrian refugees if the federal government ultimately decides the state will receive any of those the Obama\u2019s administration has pledged to resettle over the next year.<\/p>\n
WEST VIRGINIA (0)<\/p>\n
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin\u2019s office says he does not anticipate a federal request for placement of refugees in West Virginia. In a statement, Tomblin\u2019s office says the governor has not been contacted by the federal government regarding large-scale placements of Syrian refugees, and that any smaller placements likely would take more than a year. The statement says the state would ensure \u201cthat proper security screening was conducted by federal and state officials.\u201d<\/p>\n
WISCONSIN (1)<\/p>\n
Gov. Scott Walker said Monday that Wisconsin won\u2019t accept any new Syrian refugees because doing so poses a security threat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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