Alabama became the second state Sunday to block the influx of Syrian refugees relocating within its borders.
Gov. Robert Bentley, following in the footsteps on Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, declared that refugees being ushered in by the federal government onto U.S. soil would not be accommodated in his state.
“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,” Bentley said in a news statement.
“The acts of terror committed over the weekend are a tragic reminder to the world that evil exists and takes the form of terrorists who seek to destroy the basic freedoms we will always fight to preserve. I will not place Alabamians at even the slightest, possible risk of an attack on our people. Please continue to join me in praying for those who have suffered loss and for those who will never allow freedom to fade at the hands of terrorists.”
According to the governor’s office, there is currently one refugee processing center in the state and “there have been no Syrian refugees relocated in Alabama to date, though neighboring states have processed a number of refugees.”
Earlier in the day, Snyder said Michigan would be suspending its Syrian refugee program “until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security fully reviewed its procedures.”
“Michigan is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of immigration,” Snyder said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents.”
Meanwhile, Louisiana has already begun accepting Syrian refugees. Gov. Bobby Jindal wrote a letter to President Obama demanding more information on who is coming into his state, saying:
Last week, the city of New Orleans began receiving its first wave of Syrian refugees. As with former immigration crises and federal relocation policy, Louisiana has been kept in the dark about those seeking refuge in the state. It is irresponsible and severely disconcerting to place individuals, who may have ties to ISIS, in a state without the state’s knowledge or involvement.
As Governor of Louisiana, I demand information about the Syrian refugees being placed in Louisiana in hopes that the night of horror in Paris is not duplicated here.
“As Americans, we embolden freedom and opportunity to the rest of the world, but by opening up our borders and refusing to collaborate or share information with states, you are threatening that reality,” Jindal wrote, adding “it would be prudent to pause the process of refugees coming to the United States. Authorities need to investigate what happened in Europe before this problem comes to the United States.”
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