Gov. Hutchinson opposes relocation of Syrian refugees to Arkansas (Updated)

Editor’s note: Updated to include information about Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s appeal to Congressional leaders, to include info from U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton, to include a statement from ACLU of Arkansas, and to include comments from Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday (Nov. 16) said he will oppose the use of “any facility or installation” in the state as a Syrian refugee center. Also on Monday, U.S. Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called for a change in U.S. plans for Syrian refugees.

Gov. Hutchinson was one of at least six GOP governors to announce their opposition to housing Syrian refugees – an issue that has become more prominent following the terrorist attack in Paris that killed more than 120 and wounded more than 300.

Following is Gov. Hutchinson’s full statement: “As governor, I oppose any facility or installation in Arkansas being used as a Syrian refugee center. Many of the Syrian refugees are fleeing violence in their own country but Europe, Asia or Africa are logically the best places for resettlement or for temporary asylum. Syria is a war torn country and the United States will support our European friends in fighting ISIL in Syria and elsewhere; however, this is not the right strategy for the United States to become a permanent place of relocation. Again, I will oppose Arkansas being used as such a relocation center.

“The hardships facing these refugees and their families are beyond most of our understanding, and my thoughts and prayers are with them, but I will not support a policy that is not the best solution and that poses risk to Arkansans.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas took issue with Hutchinson’s refugee stance and issued this statement: “Gov. Hutchinson says he’ll fight all attempts to allow Syrian refugees into Arkansas. Not only is it unconstitutional for a governor to bar an entire group of refugees from their state because of their nationality, it’s downright un-American. Every school-child knows what is emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty: ‘Give me your tired, your poor/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me/I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’ Governor Hutchinson says, ‘Go huddle somewhere else.’”

The other governors include Greg Abbot of Texas, Robert Bentley of Alabama, Bobby Jindal of Lousiana, Mike Pence of Indiana, and Rick Snyder of Michigan. Later Monday Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin called on the Obama Administration to suspend its plan to allow Syrian refugees.

“The Obama administration needs to assure the public that the background checks they are doing are rigorous, and that American lives will not be endangered in the process. Until then, I call on the Obama administration to suspend any Syrian refugees into the United States. During these uncertain times, the Obama administration needs to make sure those entering the United States are not terrorists,” Fallin said in her statement.

Fort Chaffee near Fort Smith has been a military installation in Arkansas often used in refugee situations. The base was a main entry point in 1975 for the thousands of refugees fleeing Vietnam and other parts of Indochina. It also was used in 1980 to house about 20,000 Cuban refugees who fled the island nation in what was known as the “Cuban boatlift.” More recently, the base was used as a temporary relief and living area for those pushed out of the New Orleans area by Hurricane Katrina.

President Obama has said the U.S. will help Syrian refugees.

“They are parents, they are children, they are orphans, and it is very important and I was glad to see that this was affirmed again and again by the G-20, that we do not close our hearts to these victims of such violence and somehow start equating the issue of refugees with the issue of terrorism,” Obama said during recent talks at the G-20 Summit in Turkey.

CONGRESSIONAL INPUT
U.S. Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called for a change in U.S. plans for Syrian refugees. Their request included the following items:

• a temporary moratorium on resettlement;

• a report to Congress from the President that evaluates security vetting procedures for refugees; and

• a requirement that the President certify the integrity of the security vetting process as a condition of lifting the moratorium.

“The United States has a long history of accepting refugees fleeing from war torn countries like Syria. However, as we learn more about the Paris terror attacks, Arkansans are rightfully concerned that the Obama administration does not have an effective plan to protect Americans here at home,” Boozman said in a statement. “The one thing the federal government has to do is ensure national security. The administration must be able to assure Americans with confidence that those being given sanctuary are not coming here as threats to the U.S. The confidence of the American people that the government is taking the proper steps to ensure their protection simply isn’t there.”

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) also on Monday said his state is not interested in handling Syrian refugees. However, in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Scott said a state does not have authority to block federal placement of refugees. He asked the two Congressional leaders to block any move by President Obama to locate Syrian refugees to the U.S.

“More importantly, however, it is our understanding that the state does not have the authority to prevent the federal government from funding the relocation of these Syrian refugees to Florida even without state support. Therefore, we are asking the United States Congress to take immediate and aggressive action to prevent President Obama and his administration from using any federal tax dollars to fund the relocation of up to 425 Syrian refugees (the total possible number of refugees pending for state relocation support at this time) to Florida, or anywhere in the United States, without an extensive evaluation of the risk these individuals may pose to our national security,” Scott noted in his letter.

According to the United Nationals High Commissioner for Refugees, more than nine million Syrians have either fled for been forced from their homes since the civil war erupted in March 2011. About 6.5 million remain refugees in their own country, with about three million fleeing to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The UN estimates that around 150,000 Syrians seek safety in the European Union.

As of Nov. 3, the UN reported more than 681,000 Syrian asylum applications to the European Union.