In the aftermath of Friday’s
terrorist attacks in Paris,
governors across the United
States are attempting to shut
their doors on Syrian refugees
looking to find a safe haven in
the country.
As of Monday evening, more
 than two dozen governors
 announced opposition to
policies that would permit
Syrian refugees to enter their
states amid concerns they
could have ties to terrorists.


Thus far, states whose
governors oppose more 
Syrian refugees include
Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,Iowa,
Kansas, Louisiana, Maine,
 Massachusetts, Michigan,
 Mississippi,Nebraska, New 
Hampshire, New Jersey,
 New Mexico, North Carolina,
Ohio,Oklahoma, South 
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
 and Wisconsin.
Kentucky Gov.-elect Matt
Bevin, who will take office
Dec. 8, also said he opposes
 resettlement efforts.
The movement, which was
overwhelmingly spearheaded
 by Republican governors,
came after French prosecutors
 discovered a Syrian passport
 on one of the suspected
 Islamic State suicide bombers
in Paris. That finding raised
concerns that terrorists are
 embedding with refugees to
 enter Europe and other nations.
The series of attacks in Paris
on Friday night left more than
 130 dead and hundreds
 others injured. French
President François Hollande
called the attacks an “act of
war” and launched airstrikes
against ISIS.
President Barack Obama
sharply pushed back against
the growing number of states
attempting to undermine his
 policies surrounding Syrian
 refugees, saying Monday at
 a press conference in Antalya,
Turkey, that it would be
 “shameful” and “not American”
 to close America’s doors on
Syrian refugees.
“When some of those folks
 themselves come from
 families who benefited from
protection when they were
fleeing political persecution,
 that’s shameful,” he said.
“That’s not American. That’s
not who we are. We don’t
have religious tests to our
 compassion.”
In September, Obama vowed 
to accept 10,000 Syrian
refugees into the United

States next year.
As of Nov. 3, there were
 more
 than 4 million registered
Syrian refugees,according
 to the U.N. Refugee Agency.
Those issuing executive orders
 to block refugees pushed back
 on the president’s narrative
 while announcing their
decision.
“Michigan is a welcoming
 state, and we are proud of
our rich history of immigration,”
 said Michigan Gov. Rick
Snyder. “But our first priority
 is protecting the safety of our
 residents.”
In a letter addressed to the
president, Texas Gov. Greg
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.”
While their responses send
a clear message to the
president, John Malcolm, a
senior legal fellow at The
Heritage Foundation, said
 the practical implications
blocking refugees are limited.
“Governors can certainly
order state agencies to stop
doing anything to assist
federal authorities with their
 resettlement efforts, but they
 cannot stop federal authorities
 from continuing those efforts,
nor can they stop immigrants
 who are lawfully admitted to
 this country from moving to
and settling in those states,”
Malcolm said. “They can,
 however, ask state law
enforcement authorities to
 keep an eye on the refugees
 who settle in their states, so
 long as those authorities do
 so within the bounds of the
Constitution.”
“It’s abhorrent for the federal
government not to consult with
 and consider the interests
of the states,” added Jim
Carafano, a foreign policy
expert at The Heritage
Foundation. “Particularly the
views of governors, as it
 impacts the welfare and public
 safety of their citizens.”
Florida Gov. Rick Scott
addressed those concerns
in a letter sent to House
Speaker Paul Ryan and
 Senate Leader Mitch
 McConnell. In that letter,
dated Nov. 16, Scott wrote:
[I]t is our understanding

that the state does not

have the authority to

prevent the federal

government from funding

the relocation of these

Syrian refugees to Florida

even without state support.

Therefore, we are asking

the United States Congress

to take immediate and

aggressive action to

prevent President Obama

and his administration

from using any federal

tax dollars to fund the

relocation of up to 425

Syrian refugees (the

total possible number

of refugees pending for

state relocation support

at this time) to Florida,

or anywhere in the

United States, without

an extensive evaluation

of the risk these

individuals may post to

our national security.
In response, Sen. Rand Paul,
R-Ky., introduced legislation
on Monday afternoon that
would suspend issuance of
 visas to refugees from
 countries with a high risk
 of terrorism until the U.S.
Department of Homeland
 Security meets certain
standards. Those standards
include fingerprinting and
screening all refugees,
implement a tracking system
“to catch attempted overstays,
” and enhancing security
 measures that are already in place.
“The time has come to stop terrorists from walking in our front door. The Boston Marathon bombers were refugees, and numerous refugees from Iraq, including some living in my hometown, have attempted to commit terrorist attacks,” Paul said in a press release.
Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also called to suspend the refugee program.
“The Syrian refugee program should be suspended until the American people are satisfied that they know exactly who the president is admitting into the country via this program,” Burr said. “There is simply too much at stake, and the security of the American people should be our top priority.”
This article and its accompanying map has been updated to reflect the growing number of governors who do not wish to permit Syrian refugees into their state.