Branstad seeks to block Syrian refugee resettlement in Iowa

Correction: A previous reference to an online database incorrectly stated the number of countries from which refugees arrived. The correct number is 21.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad on Monday ordered state agencies to halt any work on Syrian refugee resettlements in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.

“We have welcomed refugees from around the world into Iowa," Branstad said in a statement. "We must continue to have compassion for others, but we must also maintain the safety of Iowans and the security of our state. Until a thorough and thoughtful review is conducted by the intelligence community and the safety of Iowans can be assured, the federal government should not resettle any Syrian refugees in Iowa.”

In a Monday morning news conference, Branstad had left open the door to Syrian refugee resettlement, saying he was unsure whether states had the authority to block it. (Legal scholars expressed doubts that they do.) But by afternoon, Branstad had acted to shut the door.

News reports that one of the suspects in the Paris terrorist attacks entered Europe among the surge of Syrian refugees have fueled a wave of controversy across the country as governors and presidential candidates seek to address the issue.

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Branstad joins more than 20 other governors — including Republican presidential candidate and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal — who are taking action to block any federal efforts to relocate Syrian refugees in their states.

Rand Paul, GOP presidential candidate and U.S. senator from Kentucky, also introduced legislation Monday that would suspend visas for refugees from countries considered a high risk for terrorism and impose a waiting period for background checks for visas issued to residents of other countries.

That's in contrast with Democratic candidates for president, who have called for compassion in admitting displaced Syrians. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, at a stop in New Hampton on Monday, called for 65,000 Syrian refugees to be admitted into the United States, saying they're also victims of terror.

DATABASE: 1,700 refugees arrived in Iowa since 2012

No Syrians so far

Currently, federal programs work to place refugees in states. Once they arrive, state agencies help them find housing and assist them in other ways.

Ben Hammes, communications director for the governor’s office, said that if the federal government does decide to place Syrian refugees in Iowa, those services would no longer be available to assist them as a result of Branstad’s action Monday.

“We’re trying to send a message that we don’t want them to come here until there’s been a thorough and thoughtful review,” Hammes said.

John Wilken, chief of Iowa's Bureau of Refugee Resettlement in the Department of Human Services, said he's not aware of any Syrians who have been admitted to the state, or of any who have resettled in Iowa after being admitted into other states.

Iowa originally was expecting to admit 800 refugees from around the globe in the next fiscal year. After President Barack Obama called to increase the number of refugees admitted into the country by 10,000 during the next fiscal year, Wilken said there could be an additional 100 to 120 people brought into Iowa.

He said at this point it's not clear where the refugees would be from or whether the full number would come to Iowa.

Currently, the majority of refugees who settle in the state come from Burma, Bhutan and Iraq, and they are coming to Iowa because they have family members already here. Wilken said he is also unaware of any Syrian communities in the state that would draw refugees to Iowa from elsewhere in the country.

Concern over decision

Robert Kupitz, a co-founder of the Refugee Resource Center in Des Moines, cautioned against overcorrecting in the wake of terrorism in Paris by shutting out people who need assistance.

“I think the great, vast majority of the refugees who arrive in Iowa are very thankful to be here and are positive additions to our state,” he said. “Obviously what happened is terrible, and any policy person would condemn it and be horrified by it. But that doesn’t mean we should throw the babies out with the bathwater.”

Jeremy Rosen, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, said in a statement that he was "deeply disappointed" by Branstad's decision, calling it "both morally and legally wrong."

"These refugees are fleeing terrorism in their home country," he said. "Politicians should not falsely link the tragedy in Paris with the settlement of Syrian refugees in the United States. Iowans are welcoming people who understand our moral obligation to help people in need."

Rosen said Branstad has no authority over refugee resettlement, calling it a federal matter, and urged him "to reconsider this rash decision, and to stop engaging in fear-mongering.”

Branstad reversal

Branstad's decision late Monday reverses previous statements he's made on the issue. In his Monday morning news conference, he stopped short of saying he would block Syrian refugees in Iowa.

Instead, he focused on ensuring a careful screening process as well as open and transparent communication with the federal government about who is admitted into the country and where they're placed.

“I share the concern of the other governors about the safety and well-being of our citizens, after what we saw happen in Paris,” he said Monday morning. “We don’t want to become like Europe, where they let all these refugees in, and now they’re faced with sending their police out to try to find out and round up the dangerous embedded ISIS militants that are part of it."

In September, Branstad said that welcoming displaced Syrians to Iowa is a good thing, provided they are carefully vetted and documented.

“I think Iowans are very open and accepting to immigrants in situations like this,” he said at the time.

Monday afternoon, Branstad said he remained unsure whether a state has authority to block refugee resettlement.

“I don’t know if we do, but I see state after state saying the same thing that we’re saying," Branstad said. "This is a federal system where there’s supposed to be respect for the interests of the states as well. And we the states are concerned about the well-being of our citizens.”

National response

Obama said Monday that, despite the attacks, he plans to move forward with plans to admit into the country a greater number of refugees.

"We also have to remember that many of these refugees are the victims of terrorism themselves. That's what they're fleeing. Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values," Obama said in Turkey on Monday, USA TODAY reported. "Our nations can welcome refugees who are desperately seeking safety and ensure our own security. We can and must do both."

Obama also condemned comments made by Republican presidential candidates calling for only Christian refugees to be admitted into the country.

"We don’t have religious tests to our compassion," he said.

Among the candidates who have advocated blocking Syrian refugees is Ben Carson, who leads in Iowa polling.

Carson issued a news release saying he sent a letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to immediately terminate all public funding for federal programs that seek to resettle Syrian refugees or migrants into the United States.

U.S. Rep. Steve King of Iowa said Monday at a news conference, where he endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for president, that refugees and immigrants admitted into the United States won't assimilate into American culture and uphold the idea of the American dream.

"We need a president who understands that, and one who will restore this civilization,” he said.

He said steps need to be taken to protect Christians abroad.

“The Christian refugees, they are subjects of genocide," King said. "I would do the things that we can do to save them. But, I think that we should create international safe zones for them so they can repopulate the areas they’ve been driven from. If we just evacuate people out that have been subjects of violence, who is going to repopulate that country?"

Database online

More than 1,700 refugees have arrived in Iowa from 21 countries in recent years. Search our database to see how many refugees arrived from 2012 to 2014 and the countries they came from.