More than two dozen governors have voiced opposition to the federal government resettling Syrian refugees within their states in the wake of attacks in Paris carried out by Islamic state terrorists, one of whom posed as a refugee in order to enter France.
In September, President Obama announced that the U.S. would take in as many as 10,000 Syrians in addition to its 2014 annual cap of 70,000.
On Monday governors began releasing statements ranging from requests and recommendations to demands and full-out refusals to accept the refugees.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott asked Congress to use its legislative authority to prevent the White House from using federal tax dollars to fund the initiative. Others, like Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, gave conditions to which they would accept refugees from the Middle East, including the implementation of heightened screening procedures. In Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley said the Cotton State will oppose accepting any Syrian refugees, but down in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott wrote an open letter to the president saying the Lone Star State will not accept any.
But there is a debate over to what extent governors have the legal authority to push back against the refugee resettlement program.
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