The White House held a 90-minute call Tuesday with the 34 governors who have voiced opposition to having Syrian refugees resettled in their states.
Administration officials, led by Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, attempted to ease confusion among the bipartisan group of governors by sharing details on federal refugee admissions policies and security screening measures.
Since the Paris terrorist attacks, the Obama administration has maintained that it will not stop resettling refugees from the Middle East.
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“The Administration rejects the flawed view that we can’t ensure our own safety while also welcoming refugees desperately seeking their own safety. The truth is: America can and must do both,” Amy Pope, deputy assistant to the president for homeland security, wrote in a White House blog Tuesday.
Representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration reassured the governors that the president’s top priority is the safety of the American people, but that the administration stood by its plan to continue accepting refugees.
While some governors expressed gratitude for the administration addressing these issues, others asked for continued communication between federal and state governments, according to a statement from the White House.
America can welcome refugees & ensure our own security at the same time: https://t.co/mtBAgDEdIl #RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/C2s5iQTYeO
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) November 17, 2015
