Gov. Nathan Deal: Georgia Will Not Accept Syrian Refugees

Gov. Nathan Deal on Monday said he has issued an executive order closing the state’s borders to Syrian refugees fleeing the Middle East.

In a letter sent Monday to President Barack Obama, Deal also called upon the federal government to place a moratorium on the government’s resettlement program.

“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,” said Deal. “Further, I call upon the Obama administration to work with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security to confirm the backgrounds of the 59 Syrian refugees recently resettled to ensure they do not pose a security threat to our citizens. 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 joins a slew of conservative governors making the decision to also seal their borders to refugees, including Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Louisiana and Illinois.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the state would continue to accept refugees, however. 

Patch National Editor Marc Torrence contributed to this article.

---

Photo credit: state of Georgia