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* Sohn: Religion is a poor litmus test for security or compassion * Experts say states lack legal authority to block refugees * Group says Haslam, state lawmakers on 'wrong side of history' regarding Syrian refugees * Alabama Gov. Bentley directs state agencies to resist Syrian refugee relocation* Wary governors halt, question plan to accept Syrian refugees
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 10/15/15. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal speaks to media after a ceremonial ground breaking on the new Vanguard site in Trenton announcing that the Semi-trailer manufacturing plant is bringing 400 jobs to Dade County.
Inside the Tennessee Welcome Center on Interstate 75, Governor Bill Haslam speaks about possible solutions for the Interstate 75/I-24 junction project as one of the transportation needs for our area.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley announces a state settlement with BP for the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Thursday, July 2, 2015, at the Capitol building in Montgomery, Ala.NASHVILLE - Political shock waves rippled across the South on Monday as Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared he will no longer accept Syrian refugees in his state while Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is asking the federal government to suspend their placements here.
"In light of the terror attacks in Paris, I've issued an executive order directing state agency heads to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Georgia," Deal, a Republican, said in a news release.
Moreover, Deal called on the Obama administration to confirm the backgrounds of 59 Syrian refugees recently resettled in his state to ensure they do not pose a security threat.
"Until the federal government and Congress conduct a thorough review of current screening procedures and background checks, we will take every measure available to us at the state level to safeguard the safety of Georgians," Deal said.
Haslam, also a Republican, issued his own statement after Tennessee Republican legislators, including Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and House Speaker Beth Harwell, voiced concerns.
"We are currently working to get specifics from the U.S. Department of State on the status of any Syrian refugees currently slated to come to Tennessee," Haslam said in a statement Monday. "While screening, acceptance and placement is legally under the authority of the federal government, they have said in the past they would be open to cooperating with receiving states.
"Today," Haslam said, "I'm asking the federal government to suspend placements in Tennessee until states can become more of a partner in the vetting process."
The political uproar over Syrian refugees erupted nationally over the weekend following Friday's terror attacks in Paris. The self-described Islamic State has claimed credit for the attacks that left at least 129 people dead and 350 wounded.
That took on added force with news that one of the attackers had a passport indicating he had come as a refugee from Syria to Greece.
Republican presidential candidates and congressional leaders began questioning on Sunday the United State's ability to properly screen refugees. And on Sunday, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced they are opposing any efforts to locate any additional Syrian refugees in their states.
Tennessee refugee workers and advocates are reacting with alarm, saying state officials are letting fear override compassion.
"In the wake of the tragedies in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad, and in the context of the largest displacement of people since World War II, we are called to act with compassion and leadership, not fear and misplaced blame," said Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.
Teatro said refugees from Syria and across the region are fleeing terror and violence, themselves victims of ISIS.
"It is morally incomprehensible to blame and punish these victims for the actions of terrorists," she said. "It is an act of shameful cowardice and a betrayal of our ideals and aspirations as a nation to turn our back on Syrian refugees."
Holly Johnson, state coordinator of Catholic Charities' Tennessee Office for Refugees, said the state has settled fewer than 50 Syrians since 2008.
She called Haslam's move and calls by state lawmakers to go further "really disappointing."
"I think so much of the anti-immigrant rhetoric especially the screening process, is driven by misinformation," she said.
Would-be asylum-seekers undergo background checks by federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, which can take 18 to 24 months, she said.
"All refugees have a face-to-face interview with DHS," she noted. "It's a big process, and I feel like so much of that is missing from the discussion."
On Monday, state Rep. Sheila Butt, R-Columbia, began asking colleagues via email to sign a letter that referenced July's deadly attack in Chattanooga launched by Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez.
"We understand completely the sense of helplessness, despair and dread after the terrorist attack on our own state in Chattanooga in July of this year," Butt's letter said. "Four Marines and a sailor were brutally and defenselessly shot and killed and other servicemen and a police officer were wounded. Many lives changed drastically that day. We still feel the violation and the loss."
Abdulazeez, who was born in Kuwait, has been characterized as a "violent, homegrown extremist" by federal officials. But the FBI steadfastly refuses to characterize him as an Islamist terrorist. Vice President Joe Biden called him a "perverted Jihadist" at a Chattanooga memorial for the slain servicemen.
Tennessee's federal delegation also weighed in on the Syrian refugee issue Monday with U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., saying the country's top priority must be protecting the American people.
"In light of the horrendous attacks in Paris, I believe that we must halt our refugee program with Syria until the proper safeguards are in place," Fleischmann said in a statement. "The United States has a long and proud tradition of helping those in need, but this is no longer just a humanitarian crisis."
U.S. Rep. John Duncan, R-Tenn., likewise called for a halt, saying, "Radical Islamic fundamentalists whose goal is to kill people who do not follow their warped religion are both mentally ill and dangerous."
But Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris, D-Memphis, defended refugee resettlement efforts.
"We should offer safe sanctuary because we can, and taking several dozen displaced families is the least we can do," he said. "We should step up when called, because that's what the good guys do during these days of crises, and we should not turn a cold shoulder, because we understand that the refugees will head into the arms of whoever offers help first, including the bad guys and those who might seek to exploit these families."
On Sunday, White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said on "Fox News Sunday" that "we're still planning on taking in Syrian refugees. "We had very robust vetting procedures for those refugees."
Rhodes added: "There are women and children, orphans of this war, and I think we need to do our part along with our allies to provide them a safe haven."
CNN reported last month, however, in testimony before the U.S. Senate's Homeland Security Committee, FBI Director James Comey said "there is risk associated with bringing anybody in from the outside, but especially from a conflict zone like that.
"My concern there is that there are certain gaps I don't want to talk about publicly in the data available to us," Comey said, according to CNN.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com, 615-255-0550 or follow via twitter at AndySher1.
Where states stand
ALABAMA Republican Gov. Robert Bentley announced Sunday that he would refuse Syrian refugees relocating to the state, saying: "I will not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harm's way." Bentley's news release said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency was diligently working with federal officials to monitor any possible threats. There has been no credible intelligence of terror threats in Alabama so far, according to the governor's office. ARIZONA Gov. Doug Ducey is joining a growing list of Republican governors calling for an immediate halt to the placement of any new refugees from the Middle East. And Ducey made it clear that the state is within its legal rights to do so, saying that he is invoking the state's right under federal law to immediately consult with U.S. officials on any new refugee placements. He also wants Congress to change the law to give states more oversight over refugee placement. Ducey says national leaders must react to protect its citizens. ARKANSAS Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he opposes Syrian refugees being relocated to Arkansas. Hutchinson, a former undersecretary of the federal Department of Homeland Security, said he doesn't believe the United States should be a permanent place of relocation for the refugees and that he thinks Europe, Asia or Africa are logically the best places for resettlement or temporary asylum. COLORADO Colorado's governor isn't ruling out Syrian refugees in the wake of terror attacks in Paris. But Gov. John Hickenlooper said Monday the federal government needs to make sure the verification process for refugees is "as stringent as possible." Colorado has received no Syrian refugees, according to state officials. CONNECTICUT Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says Connecticut will continue to accept refugees from Syria. The Democrat told NBC Connecticut on Monday the state is committed to accepting the refugees and believes background checks could easily be performed and his spokesman, Devon Puglia, said the administration is continuing to work with federal officials and await guidance as "they develop procedures following the tragedy in Paris." FLORIDA Gov. Rick Scott is calling on Congress to block attempts by the Obama administration to relocate 425 Syrian refugees to Florida. The Republican governor on Monday wrote a letter to congressional leaders that asked them to take "immediate and aggressive action" to prevent the relocation of Syrian refugees without an "extensive evaluation" of the risk the refugees may pose to national security. GEORGIA Gov. Nathan Deal says the state will not accept Syrian refugees. Deal, a Republican, says he issued an executive order on Monday directing state officials to prevent resettlement of Syrian refugees in Georgia. He also asked the Obama administration to work with Georgia officials to confirm the backgrounds of 59 Syrian refugees already resettled in Georgia. ILLINOIS Gov. Bruce Rauner joined the growing list of Republican governors who announced they want to prevent Syrian refugees from relocating in their states. In a statement issued Monday, Rauner said the state will "temporarily suspend accepting new Syrian refugees and consider all of our legal options pending a full review of the process by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security." State officials say 169 Syrian refugees have settled in Illinois since 2010. IOWA Saying he wants to protect residents of his state in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris, Gov. Terry Branstad acknowledged that governors might not be have the legal authority to prevent the Syrian refugees from relocating to their states because "this is a federal program." Still, the Republican says he wants more information from the federal government about where people are being placed and the vetting process. INDIANA Republican Gov. Mike Pence announced Monday that he was ordering state agencies to suspend the relocation of any more Syrian refugees to the state until he received assurances from the federal government that proper security measures had been taken. KENTUCKY Kentucky's incoming Republican governor has joined governors of several states in opposing the resettlement of Syrian refugees. Republican Gov.-elect Matt Bevin's stance is at odds with Kentucky's current governor. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear says Kentucky should do "the Christian thing" and welcome all refugees who have passed extensive background checks. Kentucky started settling Syrian refugees in 2014, when 63 people arrived from the war-torn country. So far this year, another 26 have settled in Kentucky. About half the 89 total have been children. LOUISIANA Gov. Bobby Jindal - a GOP presidential contender - said he wants more information from the White House "in hopes that the night of horror in Paris is not duplicated here." Jindal sent a letter to the White House on Saturday, demanding to know how many Syrian refugees have been resettled in his state. He also wants to know the extent of background screening before Syrians entered the U.S. United States as well as what monitoring would be done once the refugees make it to Louisiana. MAINE Gov. Paul LePage says it is "irresponsible" to allow Syrian refugees into the country in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris. The Republican governor, who said he does "not know for certain" if Maine has any Syrian refugees right now, plans to point out in a radio address on Monday that one of his first actions as governor was to prevent Maine from serving as a "sanctuary state" for people living in the country without legal permission. MARYLAND Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says the state will "make a very reasoned and careful decision" about how it will proceed in policy regarding potential Syrian refugees. The Republican governor said Monday the issue is one that "we'll be looking at very closely." MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker says he's opposed to allowing more Syrian refugees into Massachusetts in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris and that he wants to know much more about the federal government's vetting process before allowing them into the state. Democratic Boston Mayor also says he wants to know about how the federal government screens refugees. MICHIGAN Gov. Rick Snyder had bucked many fellow Republican leaders by welcoming refugees to Michigan, which has a large Arab-American population. But he said Sunday that the state is postponing efforts to accept refugees until federal officials fully review security procedures and clearances. Snyder said that while he is proud of the state's history of immigration, its "first priority is protecting the safety of our residents." MISSISSIPPI Gov. Phil Bryant said Monday that he's trying to find out if there are any plans by the federal government to relocate any Syrian refugees in the state and if there are the Republican said he will "do everything humanly possible" to stop it. NEW HAMPSHIRE New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan says the United States should halt the acceptance of Syrian refugees until intelligence and defense officials can assure a strong process for vetting refugees. Hassan also says more facts are needed on how the attackers got into Paris before the United States takes more Syrian refugees. PENNSYLVANIA Gov. Tom Wolf said his administration will keep working with the federal government to properly screen and resettle Syrian refugees in the state. The Democrat said Monday that the federal government thinks it can handle an additional 10,000 refugees that the White House said in September that it would accept from Syria. RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo said in September she's willing to help if the federal government asks Rhode Island to host Syrian refugees. Raimondo's spokeswoman says the governor would coordinate closely with the White House and law enforcement if the state receives a request now. SOUTH CAROLINA Gov. Nikki Haley says she's re-evaluating international refugee programs in light of the terrorist attacks in Paris but continues to support allowing the persecuted to come to South Carolina. She says no Syrians have been brought to South Carolina. She says refugees from other nations in South Carolina have been persecuted for being Christians, for their political views or because they were interpreters for American military personnel. TEXAS Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday ordered Texas' refugee resettlement program not to accept any more Syrians in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks. In a letter to Obama, the Republican also urged scrapping federal plans to accept more Syrian refugees into the country as a whole. He said the federal government can't perform "proper security checks" on Syrians. Texas officials estimate about 200 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Texas last fiscal year. VIRGINIA A spokesman for Virginia's governor says his public safety team is communicating with federal authorities about refugee resettlements, including those involving Syrians. Brian Coy issued the statement Monday on behalf of Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. The statement says every refugee settled in the U.S. undergoes intensive security screening. VERMONT Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin says his colleagues across the nation who say they won't allow Syrian refugees into their states are "stomping on the qualities that make America great." Shumlin says there is an extensive screening process in place for refugees. Since 1989 about 7,000 refugees have been resettled in Vermont and while none of them are from Syria, there are plans to settle a small number in the state during the current fiscal year. WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee says Washington state will welcome Syrian refugees if the federal government ultimately decides the state will receive any of those the Obama's administration has pledged to resettle over the next year. Inslee criticized other governors who have threated to stop accepting refugees following last week's attacks in Paris. From October 2014 through September of this year, 25 Syrian refugees have settled in Washington state. WEST VIRGINIA Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's office says he does not anticipate a federal request for placement of refugees in West Virginia. In a statement, Tomblin's office says the governor has not been contacted by the federal government regarding large-scale placements of Syrian refugees, and that any smaller placements likely would take more than a year. The statement says the state would ensure "that proper security screening was conducted by federal and state officials." WISCONSIN Gov. Scott Walker said in September that the United States should not take in any more refugees from Syria and now, in the wake of the terrorist attack in Paris, Republican leaders of the Wisconsin state Assembly are saying the same thing. They're circulating a letter they plan to send to President Barack Obama's administration saying they don't want any Syrian refugees.