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| Refugees fleeing Syria and entering Turkey. |
In a matter of about 24 hours, Gov. Rick Snyder found
himself transitioning from a humanitarian gesture in Lansing to a long-distance battle with
Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump over Syrian refugees.
On Tuesday afternoon, the governor told the new Michigan
Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs he’s in talks with the federal
government about bringing thousands of those fleeing war-ravaged Syria to
Michigan, and to the Detroit area in particular.
On Wednesday night, Trump told a cheering crowd at a New
Hampshire campaign stop that, if Syrian refugees come to America, as president
he would send them back.
are based in part on statistics that demonstrate the economic and entrepreneurial benefits
of new arrivals from overseas.
“Shouldn’t we help people in need around the world and
show that outreach because we would like to be treated that way if we ever
found ourselves in that circumstance?” the Republican governor said at the
commission meeting.
According to Michigan Radio, the governor says he’s also
talking to local government officials, business leaders, and nonprofit refugee assistance
groups on how many refugees the state could handle. The current annual resettlement
limit for Michigan imposed by federal authorities is 4,200.
“It’s about having people come here and having a quality
experience and become good Michiganders, and creating an environment where even
more Michiganders that are here can have good jobs,” Snyder said.
Trump: ‘They’re going back’
reverse – attempts to bring fleeing refugees to American shores.
“I’m putting the people on notice that are coming here
from Syria as part of this mass migration,” he told an audience in Keene, N.H.
“If I win, they’re going back. They’re going back. I’m
telling you. They’re going back.”
circumvent U.S. immigration and asylum laws by removing one particular group
from the United States.
It’s also interesting to note that many of the same
conservatives in the audience who loudly cheered Trump’s remark probably also
reacted angrily when President Obama last year altered current procedures and
was accused of lawlessness. The president’s executive order, now facing a court
challenge, would require federal authorities to concentrate on deporting
undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes and to give a pass to the
“Dreamers” who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
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| This is what’s left of the Syrian city of Homs. |
weighed in.
the Obama administration to triple the number of persecuted minorities from the
war-torn areas of Syria and Iraq who are granted asylum in the U.S. The state
Department plans to facilitate 85,000 refugees from across the globe in 2016
and 100,000 in 2017.
Peters offered perspective based on his recent trip to the
Zaatari refugee camp for Syrians in Jordan.
“The folks there in the camp are surviving on 50 cents a day for food with limited resources, in trailers, in the middle of the desert,”
Peters told The Detroit News.
‘No hope whatsoever’
“Some had been there over three years. This isn’t a
temporary situation. This is a long-term situation, and people are feeling they
simply have no hope whatsoever.”
In a letter
to Obama the freshman senator said the United States should be prepared to take
30,000 Syrians and persecuted minorities next year and as many as 100,000 in
the following years.
“An undertaking at this level will demonstrate the United
States’ continued commitment to our proud history of welcoming refugees of
special humanitarian concern,” Peters wrote. “I stand ready to work with you to
provide additional funding or authorizations required.”
Harrison Township Republican this week co-sponsored new legislation that grants
congressional oversight of the nation’s Syrian Refugee Resettlement Program.
Miller does not adhere to Trump’s Trojan Horse theory
that thousands of refugees, once in the United States, will reveal themselves
as ISIS terrorists. But the congresswoman, who serves as chair of the House
Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, also expresses skepticism about
the vetting process.
The State Department has responded to congressional
concerns by assuring that a thorough screening process precedes the
resettlement of all refugees and asylees. Snyder suggested the process was too
burdensome because most seeking to resettle in the U.S. face an 18- to 24-month
wait.
Must have ‘highest level of scrutiny’
“The United States has a long history of helping those
around the world who seek refuge from political and religious persecution. Over
the last few years, we have witnessed what may be the most pressing refugee
crisis of our time, as hundreds of thousands of Syrian migrants are fleeing
into and across Europe to escape the violence and instability created by
terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda and ISIS.
those in need of refuge, we can’t ignore the serious threat these terrorist
organizations pose to our homeland security. Syria is home to the largest
convergence of Islamist terror organizations, many of whom are committed to
carrying out attacks against the U.S. and its allies. Therefore, when it comes
to accepting refugees from Syria, it is imperative that the U.S. impose the
highest level of scrutiny and security to protect our citizens from terrorist
looking to exploit our hospitality.
measures we need, I cosponsored the Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security
Act, legislation that makes certain our law enforcement agencies have the
resources they need to vet refugees before they step on American soil and that
our federal, state, and local agencies coordinate and share critical
information regarding extremist fighters and the threats they pose.”
Potential security gaps
and Security Act:
* Require affirmative approval by both the House and
Senate before any refugees are admitted to the U.S.
resettlement plan put forward by the president.
admission of refugees from Iraq and Syria, to prioritize the resettlement of
oppressed religious minorities.
coordination with the Director of National Intelligence and FBI, provides new
security assurances before admitting refugees into the country and require that the
Governmental Accountability Office conduct a sweeping review of potential security
gaps in the current refugee screening process.
