Governors in 27 states have said they will oppose welcoming Syrian refugees into their states.
According to BuzzFeed News, several state governors said they would not accept Syrian refugees after the attacks in Paris over the weekend. Concerns are that ISIS could exploit the U.S. refugee program and attack the nation.
“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,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a letter to President Obama.
“Neither you nor any federal official can guarantee that Syrian refugees will not be part of any terroristic activity,” Abbott continued. “As such, opening our door to them irresponsibly exposes our fellow Americans to unacceptable peril.”
Meanwhile, the governors in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut and Washington have said they back the president, who wants to accept refugees.
Presidential hopefuls have also voiced opinion on the matter with some Republican candidates arguing that Christian Syrians should have priority to enter the U.S.
"When I hear political leaders suggesting that there should be a religious test for admitting which person fleeing which country," Obama said. "When some of these folks themselves come from other countries, that's shameful. "That's not America. That's not who we are. We don't have religious tests to our compassion."
According to Christian Today, the Republican candidates supporting the ‘religious test’ include Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush.
Publication date: November 17, 2015
