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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Delegate Joshua Nelson (R-23), of Boone County, has issued an open letter to the state’s Governor, Earl Ray Tomblin, as well as President Obama, demanding that “un-vetted” Syrian refugees not be allowed to take up residence in the Mountain State.

The online petition was launched just hours after France’s horrific terrorist attacks Friday evening — attacks that were in part carried out by at least one individual who apparently entered the nation disguised as a refugee from the embattled Middle Eastern nation.

The 28-year-old Southern West Virginia delegate’s petition states:

West Virginia was placed on a list to receive un-vetted Syrian refugees who are fleeing Syria. Let me be the first to say that those among them who are peaceful and want a chance at peace have my deepest sympathies but the truth remains that among these refugees will also be those who are hell bent on carrying out jihad in the United States and West Virginia mixed among them as a Trojan horse.

I am writing you to ask you to change your plans of bringing these individuals to our state. These so called refugees hit our friends and oldest Ally in France extremely hard yesterday and well over a hundred peace loving people perished because of this. This is unacceptable. Those of us who oppose taking refugees in that we know nothing about and have no research about their intentions have been demonized and even had our faith questioned because we are worried about the safety of our families and friends are not by any means ‘racist’ or somehow ‘un-Christian’. This political tactic in an overly politically correct world is simply false. We believe that it is against our safety interests and our national security to allow people of whom we have no way of knowing if they are terrorists or not into our boarders.

Both of you have advocated extremely hard and demanded background checks for our very own citizens to carry out a constitutional right… at the very least we can require background checks and legal process for those wishing to come into our country and enjoy the blessings of liberty. We are a nation of immigrants, but that does not mean we are a nation of no laws.

Very Respectfully,

Delegate Joshua Nelson,

WV HD 23

Chair, House Committee on Veterans Affairs

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