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As governors decry migrants, Obama holds line

19:03, Tuesday, 17 November, 2015
As governors decry migrants, Obama holds line


     Multiple state governors on Monday opposed the relocation of Syrian refugees to the United States after deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last week.
     Since the attacks, Republican governors of at least 222 states announced they would resist new settlement of migrants, citing security concerns. One Democrat — Gov. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire — urged the federal government to stop admitting refugees until more is known about its vetting process.

The State Department said it would not change its plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year amid ongoing conflict in the country.

Governors of these states spoke out against settlement:

Alabama
     Arizona
     Arkansas
     Florida
     Georgia
     Idaho
     Illinois
     Indiana
     Iowa
     Kansas
     Louisiana
     Maine
     Michigan
     Mississippi
     Nebraska
     New Hampshire
     North Carolina
     Ohio
     Oklahoma
     Tennessee
     Texas
     Wisconsin
     South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley did not immediately oppose admitting refugees outright, but said, "if we need to change our policy, we will."

On Monday, Democratic governors of at least six states announced they would continue to allow resettlement:

Connecticut
     Hawaii
     Kentucky
     Minnesota
     Pennsylvania
     Washington
     Statements by the governors came as President Barack Obama addressed the G-20 meeting in Turkey. He called suggestions from political leaders that a religious test be applied to refugees seeking asylum in the U.S., "shameful."
     "That's not American," he said. "That's not who we are. We do not have religious tests to our compassion."

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