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Scott Moves To Keep Syrian Refugees Out Of Florida
November 17, 2015
Gov. Rick Scott wants to close Florida’s borders to additional refugees from Syria in the wake of Friday’s terrorist assault on Paris in which at least one of the attackers held a Syrian passport.
Scott advised U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a letter Monday that the Florida Department of Children and Families, which receives federal funds, won’t assist efforts to relocate the up to 425 Syrian refugees destined to be resettled in Florida.
As the move doesn’t preclude federal officials from resettling Syrian refugees by working with local social-service agencies, Scott also asked in the letter for congressional leaders to prevent funding for such relocations to Florida or anywhere else within the U.S.
“As the federal elected body that exercises oversight and authorizes federal spending, please take any action available through the powers of the United States Congress to prevent federal allocations toward the relocation of Syrian refugees without extensive examination into how this would affect our homeland security,” Scott wrote.
Appearing on former Reagan administration official Bill Bennett’s radio show Monday, Ryan said he is looking for the “best legislative option we have” and has directed lawmakers to come up with recommendations to determine how to ensure terrorists won’t be able to mix with actual refugees.
“Look, we’ve always been a generous nation taking in refugees,” Ryan said. “But this is a unique situation. This is a situation where you have single men coming over, which is not women and children.”
Scott’s letter came as Republican presidential candidates questioned the nation’s Syrian refugee policy, governors in a number of other states announced they wouldn’t accept more Syrian refugees, and Florida U.S. Senate candidate Ron DeSantis quickly moved to infuse the refugee issue into next year’s Senate race.
“We have to err on the side of protecting the American people and we cannot run the risk of bringing terrorists into the United States,” DeSantis, a Republican from Northeast Florida, said in a release.
Also, state Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and his son, state Rep. Matt Gaetz, R- Fort Walton Beach, offered support to Scott for any border-closing legislation.
The Gaetzes wrote in a letter that the terrorist attacks “in France underscore a stark reality — that no one anywhere is entirely safe from the murderous reach of ISIS and radical Islam. The president of France has called these attacks by ISIS against a civilian population ‘an act of war.’ European governments have closed or may close their borders. The increasing likelihood that mass migration of Syrian refugees may be infiltrated with terrorists makes it necessary that extraordinary vigilance be exercised before accepting this unplanned resettlement.”
The Gaetzes added that Florida has in the past “done its share” regarding refugees, but the “current circumstance is far more different and far more dangerous than any other time when we have been asked to open our borders and communities.”
Coordinated attacks by Islamic State, or ISIS, terrorists killed 129 people Friday in Paris and left hundreds injured.
An estimated 4 million people have left Syria due to its ongoing civil war, with many traveling to Europe. In September, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pledged the United States would take in 15,000 Syrian refugees in the current fiscal year and another 85,000 the following fiscal year.
Florida has already received a little more than 100 refugees, according to the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.
Scott is not alone in seeking to block Syrian refugees from his state. Governors in Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin have also announced they will refuse to accept any more Syrians.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is running for president, said Sunday that U.S. aid should focus on Christians fleeing persecution in Syria.
“I think we need to do thorough screening and take in a limited number,” Bush said while appearing on the CNN “State of the Union” show. “There are a lot of Christians in Syria that have no place now. They’ll be either executed or imprisoned, either by (President Bashar al-Assad) or by ISIS. We should focus our efforts as it relates to the refugees for the Christians that are being slaughtered.”
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, also running for president and also appearing on a Sunday news show, ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” said that the U.S. “won’t be able to take more refugees.”
“It’s not that we don’t want to,” Rubio said. “It’s that we can’t.”
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
File photo.
Comments
36 Responses to “Scott Moves To Keep Syrian Refugees Out Of Florida”
REGARDING:
“When it comes down to it, these refugees will not be on our side.”
Some may not be, but I bet most would be.
(Nobody’s pretended all refugees support ISIWhichever, just that some might.)
Actually, there are people who do not support America whose ancestors have lived here for generations. They will be here whatever we do.
David for being loveable,
with open eyes
When it comes down to it, these refugees will not be on our side.
Didn’t anyone here the crowd chant “ali akbar” at the game in Turkey when they were pausing to respect the ones killed in France?
I’m patiently awaiting for the word “impeachment” to come up…the sooner the better….what Obama is doing- and has already done to our country, (against the majority will) is FAR worse than what Nixon and Clinton did- put together!!!
Saw this last night ( 17 Nov 2015 ) on WSRE / PBS.
A Chilling report on ISIS in Afghanistan:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/isis-in-afghanistan/
to safebear
you need to look a couple of verses above where you started at then you would see it says he will divide the nations, what he is meaning is he will be pleased with the nations that are kind to his brethren Isreal during the great tribulation and the nations that wanted to destroy her he will not at all be pleased
Why are we even thinking of bringing them over when we have so many of our own that are homeless.
You let them over, it’s just a matter of time before we see a “Paris” attack here.
Make them go back to their own country and fight for it rather than ask others to die getting their country back for them.
Wake up America; Look what is happening in France. If we only get one bad one in the bunch, that is too many. Keep them out of our Country
@safebear
If these were truely my fathers brethren, i would have to agree with you. Since they are most assuredly heathens, you’ve wasted your words.
Reality is that the type of refugees that have been allowed into this country come with extremely limited abilities. As a driver of a passenger carrying motor coach, I carry these groups to cities in Iowa and Nebraska. They have very little standards, their lifestyle is so much lower than most Americans and they become dependent on our government and churches. They trash the buses, have poor sanitation training and cause many problems during transportation to their destination.
Enough of them are already colonized in cities across the Midwest and they burden city and county government with much increased expenses. A place for them needs to be set up near their country of prigion. Those of us that work for a living are being burdened down with taxes to support these individuals/families that contribute little to our economy
Wonder what their Gang Sign and Tags will be?
Keep them OUT of here….once in they become Citizens and can then bring other family members into our country.
The president gets to make this call at least that’s what the Constitution says.
The last I heard the president didn’t honor the Constitution so why does he get to pick what parts he wants to follow.
To all the people who feel these refugees should be allowed, please feel free to open your home to them. Feed, clothe and provide their medical and whatever other needs they may have. If you can’t do this, then you who are you to judge those of us that don’t want them in our state?
Safebear ~
Luke 22:36
Then said [Jesus] unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Evidently Jesus meant for the disciples to defend themselves. Even the Saviour had limits on what we should have to endure. Why not skip any incident of having to draw our “swords” by just keeping them from coming here to begin with? Besides, if these people ARE NOT “refugees,” then all the scriptures you quoted don’t apply to them. Since it seems that more often than not the “refugees” are really just wolves in sheep’s clothing. And let us not forget what the Bible tells us in Jeremiah 5:6 about wolves and people who are not righteous:
“Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.”
If you will watch the news you will see we – the Nation as a whole and in general – are FAR from being righteous. I would be concerned about more than just being a “welfare nation.”
REGARDING:
“I’m just going to put this right here. I don’t remember seeing anything that said this excluded anyone – Veterans, Syrians or anything so if you’re Christian and still think all this is right, keep reading.”
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Despite what so many believe, no government is ever Christian even though rulers and judges and citizens may be Christians. The USA can not go to Heaven even if many people from the USA do.
While I welcome them to Bluff Springs, I also don’t believe most of them are Christian brethren, therefore that promise doesn’t apply. (Show mercy to your neighbor does.)
David for better understanding and mercy
4 million people leaving Syria. I really don’t know how many people ISIS has but you would think that if something like this was happining here we would have way more than 4 million Americans trying to fix It. Not running like peasants to the first country that would take us. If they would stay and fight for there country they wouldn’t have this problem. I don’t think we need these people in the US, we have enough people in Washington that won’t stand up to for what’s right.
I’m just going to put this right here. I don’t remember seeing anything that said this excluded anyone – Veterans, Syrians or anything so if you’re Christian and still think all this is right, keep reading.. and let’s preach and teach this on Sunday and explain while this is right?
Matthew 25: 34-40
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Matthew 25
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Maybe they should bring the refugees to Washington, DC to house them….after all, then they are close to government services and the center of government etc.
Rick Scott doesn’t get to make that call, the President does. That’s what the constitution says, anyway. You all DO support the constitution, don’t you?
REGARDING:
“Only a fool would invite danger into his home.”
With that in mind, let them come to Bluff Springs.
It would give us an opportunity to win them to Christianity with our love and kindness and without them being at risk of beheading for converting.
We would need to warn them of some of the more dangerous areas around them/us.
Even the worst of them can go years before going all jihadist on us and surely we can convince them to not kill anyone in Bluff Springs by then.
David for better people
Our country is at war. Shouldn’t our borders already be closed?
They should be standing in their country for themselves.
Their own bordering countries aren’t letting them in…
And as far as cowards go, I understand there is a lot of available space in Syria where you can live and help them first hand.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
“Now you terrorists, bust down my golden door,
With bombs & bullets rain down on me,
from the Middle East come West,
until I am no more!”
Man, I’m glad I don’t have kids, the country is going bad when we hafta let ourselves be overrun. Not much of a future for American children when a flood of more people that will be living on the backs of the workingman is what that future holds.
Chaz & Lisa- WRONG. It takes courage to stand up to our cowardly president who refuses to protect America, all in the name of political correctness. I pity the innocent among the refugees…Just like I pitied the innocent at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. War is war, though, and countries have to look out for their own. To bring refugees here en mass, to our backyard, however, is reprehensible and flat out stupid.
No, we do not need them in Florida. We have enough problems already.
Only a fool would invite danger into his home.
Finally, Our reps have some back bone.
Two problems with bringing them here.
1. They would be better served living in a country near their homeland and repatriated after the threat is neutralized. Even if we send money and aid we could help more people for the same cost to bringing them here. Instead we will dilute that culture, neighbors, and friends all over the world with little or no chance of returning home or ever seeing each other again.
2. Shouldn’t we instead focus on the homeless we have here? Depending on who you look too the number is near 600,000 at any one point in time in OUR country. Rather than fly them here and give them homes, healthcare, food,… We will always have the poor but to spend far more per person on people from the other side of the planet to continue to ignore those on our own streets does not seem right.
(I deliberately did not mention the safety factor for now but it is obvious.)
The states rightfully telling the federal government, “No.”
How about spending all that money on the homeless veterans we have here in America?
Lisa and chas, did you all not see and hear what happened in Paris? Reports are 2-3 of the attackers were refuges that France took in. Open your eyes and realize that these Muslim extremists are smart and embedded everywhere. I mean come on, they used the Playstation 4 to communicate and play these attacks.
We are supposed to be a nation known by the phrase “home of the brave,” yet we have millions of people terrified of a few Syrians that might come to our shores. These same terrified people are also Christians but perhaps in name only. Instead of brave people who should not be committing bigotry and xenophobia who call themselves Christians, we have people frightened enough to exhibit their bigotry through the hateful comments they make about the refugees. Christians? In name only. Brave? More like cowards. We should be ashamed of ourselves. The terrorists have played us well and made people afraid and turned them against people who need our help. They have won the psychological war.
to Chas and Lisa how many do you want?
President Obama’s inaction and lack of wisdom have attributed to this situation to begin with, once he pulled ALL of the troops out of Iraq Isis rose up. President Obama let the world know and stated almost two years before the draw down. Then mean while in Syria you have different factions organizing (Some of who were Hussein’s fled Republican Guard) skirmishes began to brake out in Syria and as they took half the country they kind of go to a stalemate then Isis turned to Iraq. Then to make matters worse we begin arming these guys.
Some folks need to understand, if we bring them here we need to build internment camps so we can feed and cloth them, but most important WATCH THEM then at a later date return them to Syria.
Gov. Scott can’t stop the Feds. It’s just political theater, because it’s not FL dept. of children and families shipping them to Pensacola and Mobile.
This is who are going to import them here according to the list that the Feds published.
USCCB
FL-USCCB-01: Catholic Charities Address: 1 North C Street
Pensacola, FL 32502 Phone: 850-436-6420
I hope we don’t get bad ones.
Just when I thought there was no good in him…
Pulls a stunt I totally agree with!!!!
Thanks Obama ur a genius for bringing ISIS into our backyard!!
Cowards.
My goodness.. These Governors are cowards.. Gutless, frightened pitiful cowards.
They have little business calling themselves Americans at this point.
Shameful absolutely shameful.