Syrian Refugees Near Ramsey: Who Are They, And Where Do They Live?

They live in apartments atop stores, have jobs and send their children to school.

For the most part, the approximately 92 Syrian refugees who have settled into New Jersey life have assimilated just as the state - and the nation - debate whether to take more.

That debate has hit fever pitch in recent days since ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly terror attacks on Friday in Paris.

Gov. Chris Christie and others have called for an end to the Syrian refugee immigration, saying it could open the gate for terrorists to enter the United States.

On Tuesday, Gov. Chris Christie announced that he sent a letter to President Obama, notifying him that New Jersey will not accept any refugees from Syria in the wake of the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris last week.

New Jersey, meanwhile, has the ninth largest population of Syrian refugees. And those who have settled in some local communities (see map below) over the past year or so say they’ve done so with little trouble.

Take Al Roustom, a refugee from Syria. Since arriving in June, he, his wife, their 3-year-old daughter and their 7-year-old son have been living in an apartment atop the Kwick Discount Center grocery store in Jersey City.

Al Roustom is one of 1,682 Syrian refugees admitted to the United States since Oct. 1, 2014, according to The New York Times.

On April 15, Al Roustom sat in a Jordanian refugee camp, and had no idea that a committee was deciding where he would start his life. He was waiting because each organization selects a prescribed number of refugees in several rounds - somewhat like a draft conducted by professional sports teams to choose players, according to the report.

They select cases depending on: whether an applicant has a relative or a friend near an aid group’s field office; what they identify as their spoken languages; whether others from that country live nearby; and if they have any medical concerns and other specific issues, according to the report.

Those lucky enough to get picked include Sandy Khabbazeh, 26, a Syrian refugee who has found refuge in the Ponds Reformed Church in Oakland, according to mycentraljersey.com. Her mother, father and older brother are still trapped in Aleppo, Syria, surrounded by ISIS forces.

“I got help,” Khabbezah, whose family in Syria sent her here for fears that ISIS was targeting women, told mycentraljersey.com. “Help and support. I found a family here. I love America. I found peace here. I still hope. I do.”

Here is the map. Click on the markers to learn about the refugees’ story:

Here is the list of states with Syrian refugees provided by the Department of State:

1. California 252
2. Texas 242
3. Michigan 207
4. Arizona 168
5. Illinois 164
6. Pennsylvania 161
7. Florida 123
8. Kentucky 101
9. New Jersey 92
10. Ohio 82
11. Massachusetts 72
12. Georgia 66
13. North Carolina 56
14. Connecticut 51
15. New York 51
16. Tennessee 42
17. Indiana 39
18. Maryland 39
19. Idaho 36
20. Washington 36
21. Missouri 29
22. Virgina 24
23. Louisiana 14
24. Utah 12
25. Colorado 9
26. Kansas 8
27. Nevada 8
28. Minnesota 7
29. New Hampshire 3
30. Maine 1
31. New Mexico 6
32. Oregon 6
33. Oklahoma 3
34. Wisconsin 2
35. Arkansas 1
36. West Virginia 1
37. Alabama 0
38. Alaska 0
39. Delaware 0
40. Hawaii 0
41. Iowa 0
42. Mississippi 0
43. Montana 0
44. Nebraska 0
45. North Dakota 0
46. Rhode Island 0
47. South Carolina 0
48. South Dakota 0
49. Vermont 0
50. Wyoming 0

Photo: Women and children among Syrian refugees striking at the platform of Budapest Keleti railway station. Refugee crisis. Budapest, Hungary, Central Europe, 4 September 2015. (3)“ by Mstyslav Chernov - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Women_and_children_among_Syrian_refugees_striking_at_the_platform_of_Budapest_Keleti_railway_station._Refugee_crisis._Budapest,_Hungary,_Central_Europe,_4_September_2015._(3).jpg#/media/File:Women_and_children_among_Syrian_refugees_striking_at_the_platform_of_Budapest_Keleti_railway_station._Refugee_crisis._Budapest,_Hungary,_Central_Europe,_4_September_2015._(3).jpg