White House offers assurances on Syrian refugees to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

Source: Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has assured Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that Syrian refugees are subjected to rigorous screening, in an effort to tamp down pushback from him and leaders in dozens of other states.

Abbott announced Monday that Texas will not allow settlement of refugees from Syria. In a 5-page letter dated Friday, and obtained Saturday night by The Dallas Morning News, Secretary of State John Kerry and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson laid out steps the federal government and international agencies take to weed out potential terrorists.

“Our multi-agency system for vetting refugees is strong,” they wrote. “Applicants for refugee admission are screened more carefully than any other type of traveler to the United States. We have tremendous faith in this system’s ability to detect, investigate, and disrupt terrorist plotting in this country, as it has done repeatedly.”

The Paris attacks a week ago unleashed a furor of anti-refugee sentiment. President Barack Obama, who has been traveling in Asia all week, has chided critics who seek to stall resettlement of Muslim refugees, calling it un-American to refuse safe harbor to victims of violence. He has taunted GOP presidential candidates, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, mocking them as fearful of widows and orphans.

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