States vowing to limit Syrian refugees may lack power to act

Republican governors, including Illinois' Bruce Rauner, are vowing to refuse Syrian refugees in the aftermath of last week's deadly terrorist attacks in Paris linked to Islamic State, even though a resettlement official said they have little direct authority to do so.

Rauner, Alabama's Robert Bentley, Mike Pence of Indiana, Michigan's Rick Snyder, Greg Abbott of Texas, Louisiana's Bobby Jindal, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts and Doug Ducey of Arizona said they would oppose efforts to have the refugees relocated to their states. Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, meanwhile, said he will accept them.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, said it's his understanding that the state can't prevent the federal government from funding the relocation of Syrian refugees to Florida even without state support. He's asking Congress to act to prevent the administration's efforts "without an extensive evaluation of the risk these individuals may pose to our national security."

"Michigan is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of immigration," Snyder said in a statement after Friday's attacks that killed at least 129 people and injured more than 300 others. "But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents."

Snyder said he's directed a hold on efforts to accept new refugees until the Department of Homeland Security "completes a full review of security clearances and procedures." Bentley said in a statement that he will oppose any relocation attempts and will "not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harm's way."

Abbott said in a letter to President Barack Obama that he's directing his state resettlement program not to participate in the relocation of Syrian refugees. Jindal issued an executive order to prevent them.

A spokesman for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential candidate, said in a statement the U.S. should not accept any additional Syrian refugees because of security concerns. He's asking Obama to stop locating them in Ohio and is "also looking at what additional steps Ohio can take to stop resettlement of these refugees."

The governors are making essentially symbolic statements because it's the federal government and the nine resettlement agencies it contracts with that determine whether refugees enter the U.S. and where they settle, said Melanie Nezer of HIAS, a Jewish nonprofit group that works with refugees who also is chairwoman of Refugee Council USA in Washington.

The State Department determines how many refugees will be accepted from which countries, and Homeland Security does an extensive screening to make the final decisions about which ones are allowed in, Nezer said.

The resettlement agencies then decide the best place to place the refugees, typically where family members are already living, if medical treatment or other services are needed, and where there is capacity, she said. The federal government reimburses states for housing, education and other costs, she said.

"It's really hard to see exactly what this is other than political," Nezer said of the governors' statements.

Obama, responding to a question at a news conference Monday at the Group of 20 summit in Antalya, said suggestions by some Republican presidential candidates that the U.S. impose a religious test on Syrian refugees are "shameful" and un- American.

Between Oct. 1, 2011, and Nov. 10, the U.S. has taken in 2,131 Syrian refugees, with just over 1,800 of them arriving since the beginning of this January, according to the State Department. They have settled in Arizona, Arkansas and California.

The governors said they are acting in the best interest of their citizens after the attacks in Paris and the flood of Syrian refugees escaping the civil war in that country, noting press reports that a Syrian refugee was among the terrorists.

"Neither you nor any federal official can guarantee that Syrian refugees will not be part of any terroristic activity," Abbott said in his letter to Obama. "As such, opening our door to them irresponsibly exposes our fellow Americans to unacceptable peril."

Wolf, the Pennsylvania governor, wants the state "to continue to build on its rich history of accepting immigrants and refugees from around the world," according to a statement from a spokesman, Jeffrey Sheridan. "But he is also committed to protecting Pennsylvanians and will work with the federal government to ensure it is taking every precaution necessary in screening those families coming into the country."

Once refugees are settled, they are free to go wherever they want, Nezer said. It's unfortunate that some states are trying to make Syrian refugees fleeing terrorism themselves feel unwelcome, she said.

"Here are people who are facing horrible violence and persecution," Nezer said. "For states to be saying, 'Well, you're not welcome here, and we're going to make your life as difficult as possible if you do decide to come,' I just feel like that's a very sad commentary on where we are today."