By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Sunday, November 11, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) became the second governor in the nation to call for a halt in Syrian refugees being relocated to their state, following Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (R).
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan said in a statement, “Governor Bentley is making national news as he firmly decided that Alabama will not accept any relocation of Syrian refugees after the tragedy in Paris. President Obama is intent on bringing 100,000 refugees in our nation with no way to check their backgrounds. Americans are the most loving people on earth, however we cannot put our safety aside in these trying times. We need to pray for the Syrians fleeing their nation and for the innocent, but at the same time our first obligation is to our nation’s safety. I commend Governor Bentley for making this bold move and putting Alabama citizens first.”
Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) said in a statement, “As many as 10,000 Syrian refugees are reportedly about to start showing up in the United States in 2016 per President Obama’s directive. Are we really this naive? At least one of the Paris attackers came into that country via similar means, and ISIS has said they would actively try to game the refugee resettlement process to infiltrate western countries.”
Rep. Roby said, “This is not about keeping Syrians out of our State or even our country. We all hate what these people are going through and want to help them how we can. But amid the direct security threat facing our country from radical Islamic terrorism, we simply cannot risk our security by allowing thousands of Syrian refugees to resettle here, especially without a robust screening and security process in place. That’s just common sense, and I fear our president is too blinded by his worldview to see it. Returning to Washington this week I will be speaking out about this and getting answers on behalf of the people I represent.”
On Monday, November 16, Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) wrote a letter to the President demanding that Obama halt his controversial plan to import hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees into this country. Byrne wrote to President Obama: “I write to you today to demand that you halt the refugee resettlement program for anyone from Syria. Recent events have demonstrated that groups like the Islamic State are using the refugee process to enter other countries.”
Rep. Byrne continued, “On September 17, I sent a letter to the Department of State requesting more information on the screening and vetting process for Syrian refugees. I also requested and received a classified briefing to discuss the screening process. While I appreciate your Administration responding to my requests, the information I received failed to ease my concerns about the potential of Islamic State fighters embedding themselves in the refugee process.” “It is now widely reported that at least one of the attackers responsible for the recent Paris terror attacks entered the country through the refugee process. We must do everything we can to prevent a similar attack from taking place here in America.”
Byrne said in a statement, “Reports indicate that at least one of the attackers in the Paris terror attacks had entered France through the refugee process. The Islamic State has repeatedly indicated they will attempt to embed terrorists in the refugee process.”
Cindy Monaghan-Holcomb with the Alabama Constitutional Conservatives praised Rep. Byrne for his effort. “US Representative Bradley Byrne has brought it to my attention that he has been pushing back against the plan to relocate Syrian refugees to his district, the Mobile area, for months and will continue to do so. In fact, Breitbart had featured him in an article back in September of this year. As this was not a politically correct stance to take at that time, I applaud Rep. Byrne for the courage to put the safety and security of his constituents before that of political correctness. If you are in Rep. Byrne’s district, please take a moment to send him a message or call his office to thank him for his stance and his efforts. Thank you, Rep. Byrne!”
Rep. Byrne wrote to President Obama: “I will also be working with my colleagues in Congress on a full legislative response to the Paris terror attacks and the refugee crisis. In the meantime, I demand you halt the Syria refugee resettlement program…We have no greater responsibility as a federal government than to ensure the safety and security of the American people. It is clearly in the best interest of the American people to halt the Syrian refugee resettlement program.”
Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler (R) said in a statement, “Alabama and Michigan are out front of the rest in refusing Syrian refugees. It will not be easy to stand up to the Obama administration and make it work. I am now working on plans to actually get this done, rather than just a politician’s statement.”
On Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced that he has sent a letter to Pres. Obama announcing that Texas will not take any Syrian refugees. Gov. Abbott said, “Neither you nor any federal official can guarantee that Syrian refugees will not be part of any terroristic activity….As such, opening our door to them irresponsibly exposes our fellow Americans to unacceptable peril.”
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R), Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R), Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R), Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner (R), New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan (D), Florida Governor Rick Scott (R), Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (R), Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R), Ohio Governor John Kasich (R), Mainer Governor Paul LePage (R), North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R), Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R), Indiana Governor Mike Pence (R) and Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) have also come out and demanded that Obama send no refugees from Syria to their states.
ISIS said in a statement on Monday, “America will be next.”
