Michigan governor Rick Snyder is suspending a program that had been taking in Syrian refugees in the wake of the Paris bombings. President Obama has angrily responded to the attempt to stop the influx of Syrian refugees into the United States.
After the Paris bombings, there were reports of a Syrian passport being found near the body of a suicide bomber, according to the Independent . Whether the passport was real or fake, there is growing concern that some ISIS members might be entering the U.S. by pretending to be Syrian refugees. Because of that concern, Snyder is calling on the state to stop accepting Syrian refugees.
"Michigan is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of immigration," Snyder said in a statement, according to the Detroit Free Press. "But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents."
"Given the terrible situation in Paris, I've directed that we put on hold our efforts to accept new refugees until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security completes a full review of security clearances and procedures," continued the statement, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Michigan has a large Arab and Middle Eastern population, and 200 Syrians already reside there, according to the New York Times. Obama plans to allow 10,000 more Syrian refugees into the United States, according to the New York Times.
Obama indirectly responded to Snyder and other politicians who want to ban Syrian refugees during a speech at the G-20 summit in Turkey.
"When I heard political leaders suggest that there would be a religious test for which a person who's fleeing a warn-torn country is admitted...that's shameful," said Obama, according to Mother Jones. "That's not American. That's not who we are. We don't have religious tests to our compassion."
"Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values,'' added Obama, according to Mother Jones.
