Arizona leaders responded to Governor Doug Ducey decision to refuse to accept new refugees after the horrific attacks in Paris. Rep. Matt Salmon supports a nationwide suspension of Syrian refugee acceptance.
Salmon issued a statement shortly after the Governor’s announcement. He stated, “Two months ago, after a congressional briefing on Syria, I requested a special briefing to learn more about how the Department of State’s PRM (Population, Refugees, and Migration) Section and the Department of Homeland Security planned to vet potential refugees for admittance into our nation. To this day, I have not received that briefing. In addition, in open testimony before the Senate, FBI Director James Comey admitted that there are ‘gaps in the system’ and that screening Syrian refugees is very difficult. The fact remains that the Administration does not have a viable plan to vet these refugees before granting them asylum in the U.S.
“Until such time as we can guarantee the American people that the refugees we bring here will not be a threat to our families and communities, I will not support the Administration’s plan. Put bluntly: it would be national security malpractice to bring these refugees here at this time,” continued Salmon.
“Today, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey advised the federal government that he was invoking his right in law to suspend the placement of any new refugees in Arizona. I applaud him for taking this strong stance, a stance that should be taken throughout America. Congress must also be consulted in this process, under Article 1, Section 8, to ensure that it ultimately meets the needs of the American public,” said Salmon.
“The events of last week remind us all that we are engaged in a global war on terror and that we must be diligent in protecting our homeland and doing everything in our power to keep Americans safe,” concluded Salmon.
Rep. Paul Gosar issued a statement on Monday expressing his support for Ducey. “I’m proud of Governor Doug Ducey and support his decision to join many other Governors today in immediately halting further entry into Arizona of any new refugees from Middle Eastern countries. The Obama Administration has not proven that it can effectively screen these people to ensure they don’t have terrorist connections. No amount of self-righteousness by President Obama can change the fact that advocating for the transfer of more Syrian refugees to the U.S. jeopardizes American security. The president’s actions are not patriotic or compassionate; they are reckless and short-sighted.”
“My colleagues and I are trying to stop these transfers in Congress and I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 3314, introduced by my good friend and colleague Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX),” said Gosar. “If enacted, this bill will put an immediate moratorium on the refugee resettlement program and prevent these potentially dangerous individuals from entering our borders.”
State Senator Kelli Ward told constituents, “I commend Governor Ducey for immediately halting the Federal placement of any new refugees in Arizona”.
State Representative Mark Finchem (LD-11) stated, “I am very pleased to see the position Gov. Ducey is taking regarding the importation of certain refugees. Until such time as we have a verification process to screen individuals properly, and resources to provide essential services for them I do not believe that we should accept any more refugees.”
Arizona State Representative Bob Thorpe LD-6 stated, “We need to pray for and support the citizens of France in light of last week’s horrific terrorist attacks. The radical Islamic terrorist attacks in Paris should be a wake-up call for any rational person, especially after the cold-blooded murders of so many innocent people, including a female American college student. One of the terrorist, a Syrian refugee, validated the clear and present danger that America faces in allowing these asylum seekers into our neighborhoods, without knowing whether they too will murder our sons and daughters in the name of Allah. Ironically, in the past 7-years, our pro-Muslim President has not demonstrated any leadership in addressing the Syrian crisis and the growing ISIS threat, and yet Obama now wants to force the resettlement of military-age male Muslims into our communities, with our without our consent. The state’s need to push back by joining together and using every available legal tool to stop the Federal government’s resettlement plan. The state’s also need to use their Article V authority to propose new amendments to the Constitution that restrain the Federal government (and our despotic President), and restore state’s rights and sovereignty, such as the security of our borders and the protection of our citizens.”