States Reject Syrian Refugees: Unpacking the Reasons

Some states wont accept Syrian refugees

UPDATE: 17 November, 2015The count is now up to 30 States that do not want to accept Syrian refugees.

While the call has gone out from many people since the possibility of Syrian refugees started in the news, States are stepping up and saying that they will not accept refugees following the attacks in Paris Friday 13 November, 2015. Currently there are 8 states that have said no. Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Arizona and North Carolina. The number of states will likely grow in the next few days. From ABC News:A growing number of states are refusing to take in Syrian refugees amid heightened security concerns following Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris.Michigan and Alabama were the first states in the country to refuse relocating Syrian refugees on Sunday, and they have now been joined by Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Arizona and North Carolina.Govs. Rick Snyder of Michigan, Robert Bentley of Alabama, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas said in separate statements Sunday and today that their states would not be relocating refugees from the war-torn country until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security fully reviewed its screening procedures."Michigan is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of immigration," Snyder said. "But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents."Nearly 130 people died in the coordinated attacks in Paris, and at least one of the attackers was carrying a Syrian passport, which has led authorities to consider he could have entered Europe as a refugee. The alleged mastermind of the attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is believed to have slipped into Syria this year.The United States in September pledged to take 15,000 refugees fleeing war-torn Syria for the fiscal year that began in October; an estimated 85,000 total refugees are expected to be resettled in the U.S. in 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sept. 20.Just this year, about 200 Syrian refugees have been relocated to Michigan by one agency alone, and the state has one of the biggest Middle Eastern populations in the country. No refugees have been resettled in Alabama, and in his statement Sunday, Gov. Bentley said things would continue that way.“I will not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harm’s way,” Bentley said. "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."

In a letter to President Obama today, Abbott said he is directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Refugee Resettlement program to stop relocating Syrian refugees."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," Abbott wrote in the letter. "And I urge you, as President, to halt your plans to allow Syrians to be resettled anywhere in the United States."See statements from additional Governors from ABC News.[mwi-cat-listing cat="94" ppp="4" cols="4" desc="false" type="view" btn_color="black" ]