Syrian Refugees Should Not Be Welcomed to RI: Legislators

Saying the governor cannot guarantee the safety of Rhode Island residents, some lawmakers are calling on Gov. Gina Raimondo to rescind her offer to accept Syrian refugees in the state.

Rep. Bobby Nardolillo (R-Coventry) and Rep. Doreen Costa (R-North Kingstown) have both asked the governor to bar refugees from entering Rhode Island in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks over the weekend.

“Please re-think welcoming refugees here to Rhode Island,” Costa posted on Twitter Monday. “We need to protect our citizens.”

Nardolillo said neither Raimondo nor the federal government can assure some Syrian refugees won’t pose a threat to Rhode Islanders, echoing the concerns of some political leaders that terrorists posing as refugees could slip into the country. Rhode Island is not immune to the danger, Nardolillo said.

In September, Raimondo announced the state would be willing to shelter refugees if the federal government asked the state to do so. The governor said the state was making plans to accept as many as 10,000 refugees.

On Monday, the governor’s office told Patch there’s no reason to make a decision at this time on the legislators’ requests to rescind that offer because the federal government has not yet asked the state to help.

“If a request is made, we will coordinate closely with the White House and with Col. O’Donnell (of the RI State Police),” said spokesperson Marie Aberger. “Anything Rhode Island may do in the future to support our nation’s efforts to respond to this humanitarian crisis and help those in need must include robust background checks and security procedures to keep Rhode Islanders safe.”

Should Raimondo decide not to allow refugees into the state, she wouldn’t be alone. Several governors around the country have said they will not offer shelter, including Massachusetts, whose Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Monday he is holding off on allowing the refugees into the commonwealth.

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