Obama to states: You don’t have power to stop refugees
White House warns of ‘enforcement action’ for defiance
CHERYL CHUMLEY
WND.com
11/26/2015
The White House sent out a stern warning to states about the refugee battle, saying governors don’t have the power to block the federal government from resettling the migrants and attempts to do so could lead to punitive action.
The warning came via a two–page letter from the Office of Refugee Resettlement signed by director Robert Carey, and was first reported by the Houston Chronicle. And it sets the stage for a dramatic Tenth Amendment showdown, pitting states’ rights against the federal government at a time when immigration – underscored by recent terror attacks in France – has moved to top of the list among voter concerns.
The letter read, in part: “States may not deny [Office of Refugee Resettlement)–funded benefits and services to refugees based on a refugee’s country of origin or religious affiliation. Accordingly, states may not categorically deny ORR–funded benefits and services to Syrian refugees.”
Carey goes on to say those states that fail to comply with the federal government would be perceived as law–breakers and “could be subject to enforcement action, including suspension or termination,” the Houston Chronicle reported.
The warning comes as two dozen or so governors from mostly Republican–led states have made clear they’re not accepting any of the thousands of Syrian refugees the Obama administration is welcoming into the country, expressing concerns for the safety and security of American citizens. The ACLU has already launched a lawsuit against one state, Indiana, for blocking refugees, as WND previously reported.
The White House, meanwhile, has characterized such resistance as un–American, and assured these refugees would be subjected to the necessary vetting. Carey, in his letter, underscored that point.
“[Refugees] are subject to the highest level of security checks of any category of traveler to the United States,” he wrote, the Express reported. “[Screening] is multi–layered and intensive.”
Texas, one of the states fighting the refugees’ resettlement, isn’t caving.
The Rest….HERE
