NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said Monday he was asking the federal government to stop placing Syrian refugees in Tennessee temporarily, in light of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
“As we mourn the loss of innocent life from Friday’s horrific and cowardly attacks in Paris, these terrible events have once again shown us that the threat of Islamic terrorism knows no boundaries and recognizes no borders,” Haslam said in a prepared statement. “We as a state must do everything we can to provide Ten-nesseans the safe environment to live, work and raise a family that so many across the world seek.”
He continued, “Since Friday the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has been in contact with the Federal Bureau of Investi-gation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and this administration has actively shared information with our local public safety partners across Tennessee.
“We are currently working to get specifics from the U.S. Department of State on the status of any Syrian refugees currently slated to come to Tennessee. While screening, acceptance and placement is legally under the authority of the federal government, they have said in the past they would be open to cooperating with receiving states. Today I’m asking the federal government to suspend placements in Tennessee until states can become more of a partner in the vetting process.”
Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris also said, “I have today called upon the chairman of the Senate State and Local Govern-ment Committee, Senator Ken Yager, to convene our committee for the purpose of taking testimony from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Department of the Military, the Tennessee Office for Refugees and others concerning the process by which resettlement may take place, if at all, what safeguards are in place, and what more can be done to provide assurance that appropriate safeguards are in place.”
Norris continued, “Our primary concern is the safety of Tennesseans during this global conflict and to provide reassurance that all steps necessary to provide public safety are undertaken without delay.”
As of Monday, states already opposing acceptance of Syrian refugees include Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Michigan and Illinois. The governors of those states have cited safety concerns following the terrorist attacks that left at least 129 dead in Paris on Friday.
