Republican lawmakers: Halt Syrian refugees for now
A day after Gov. Bruce Rauner called for a temporary halt of Syrian refugees to Illinois, suburban Republicans in Congress say the U.S. should stop taking the refugees until better background checks can be performed.
"Our number one priority must be protecting the American homeland and keeping the American people safe from terror attacks," says a letter sent by the Republican congressional contingent to President Barack Obama. "The recent bombing of a Russian airliner and the coordinated, barbaric terrorist attacks in Paris should erase any doubt about whether ISIS is simply a regional threat that can be contained geographically."
The letter was signed by Illinois Republican lawmakers including Reps. Bob Dold of Kenilworth, Peter Roskam of Wheaton and Randy Hultgren of Plano.
But Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin called the idea "very shortsighted" and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat, called it "disgraceful."
"As a Jew, I'm reminded of when the United States closed its doors on those fleeing the Holocaust, sending many back to their deaths," Schakowsky said in a statement.
The Republicans' letter follows questions by security experts on whether the group of U.S. governors that included Rauner had any legal power to keep refugees out of their states.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, a Highland Park Republican, sent Obama a separate letter Monday evening asking for heightened efforts to ensure refugees "are not members, supporters, or sympathizers of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria."
"The Syrian refugee crisis is a tragedy and the United States has an important role to play ensuring that these refugees are safe," Dold said in a statement. "Our first and foremost priority, however, must be ensuring the safety of the American people.
On Monday, Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a Hoffman Estates Democrat and candidate for Senate, said the U.S. shouldn't turn away refugees after the attacks.
"I actually signed on to take more than what the president proposed," Rep. Duckworth said at an unrelated news conference. "I signed on for two hundred thousand refugees."