Ken Yager
NASHVILLE—Two state senators are planning to conduct a joint hearing in early December to look at federal plans to bring Syrian refugees to Tennessee, a move that has become controversial after the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday.
The joint hearing has been proposed by Senate State and Local Government Committee Chairman Ken Yager, a Kingston Republican, and House State Government Committee Chairman Bob Ramsey, a Maryville Republican. They want to look at plans by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement to bring Syrian refugees to Tennessee.
Reports indicate that Tennessee will likely receive some of the 10,000 Syrian refugees for resettlement under President Barack Obama’s admissions plans, a press release said. There has been widespread disagreement, including on the presidential campaign trail, over whether the United States should accept Syrian refugees after reports emerged that one of the men involved in last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris might have slipped into Europe with other migrants using a fake Syrian passport.
On Monday, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam asked federal officials to suspend placements in Tennessee until states can become more of a partner in the vetting process.
“We treat the placement by the federal government of Syrian refugees in Tennessee as a serious matter,” Yager said. “The attack in Paris serves as another wake-up call that ISIS is serious about embedding the enemy in our communities. This comes on the heels of the terrorist attack in our state this summer. While we want to act humanely in our efforts to help those who legitimately need assistance, we owe it to our citizens to place their safety as our highest priority.”
Yager and Ramsey said their agenda is incomplete, but they plan to ask the state’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security and Tennessee Office for Refugees to provide testimony at the meeting. In 2008, Governor Phil Bredesen’s administration withdrew the State of Tennessee as the point of contact for the federal refugee resettlement program, instead opting to allow the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement to select a non-governmental organization to operate the program. That program, the Tennessee Office for Refugees, is now operated by Catholic Charities of Tennessee Inc.
“We just have a lot of questions as reports have indicated Tennessee is set to receive Syrian refugees,” Ramsey said. “We want to get to the facts about how these refugees are handled and what kind of say-so the state has in the matter. Most of all we want to know how best to protect our citizens.”
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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Sam Hopwood says
A misguided effort by Yager. and Ramsey. We should do our share to help in this humanitarian crisis. How can one look at those children and say “no” ? Just my view.
Matt Bailey says
don’t disagree entirely with either of you….what worries me is this: According to CNN last night, the head of ISIS was in our custody in an Iraqi prison years ago, and we trusted him enough to allow him to teach other prisoners classes while in custody. This was a guy we trusted, according to multiple Americans who interviewed him for extended periods of time. If we missed on him, and we did, aren’t you more than a bit squeamish about the rest of them?
Sam Hopwood says
Not really Matt. I am much more concerned about our home grown wackos like the Houston boys. While our national intelligence sometimes comes up short, it is still pretty good. We should do our part to help.
Terry Pfeiffer says
Hundreds of thousands of them Matt? I’m squeamish about the drug dealers and the thugs that absolutely exist in our own town. My odds of being victim to them is low, but heck, MUCH higher than the idea that there MAY be one or two terrorists plants among thousands of thousands of people who have been run out of their own country and are fearing for their lives. Why aren’t the same people who are yelling so loudly about not admitting thoroughly vetted refugees refusing to crack down on gun acquisition by unstable Americans who walk into a school and shoot it up every couple of weeks. I DO NOT GET IT! By the way, it takes about 2 years for people to be approved to come here.
Will Smith says
And now we have one of our outstanding State Republican representatives wanting to roundup refugees, whether they have done anything suspicious or not, saying “… which is greater, life or due process”. As is a favorite tactic of right wingers, I offer a quote from a founding father, Benjamin Franklin, “Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Will Smith says
One other thing. From November 2014-November 2015, a grand total of 35 Syrian refugees settled in Tennessee. Call out the National Guard! Sort of like the story making the rounds from a right wing “news source” (I use the term loosely) about the 8 Syrians that were “captured” trying to cross the Texas border. Again, the only problem with the story is that it was two families (two men, two women and 4 children) who voluntarily presented themselves to the border agents asking for asylum. It is truly a sad state of affairs we confront in the world today.
Will Smith says
And it only continues to get worse. Pandering to the least among us, we now have a presidential candidate advocating the registration and special identification of a particular religious group based on their religion. As a Jewish group responded – “we’ve seen that before. It didn’t end well.”
Matt Bailey says
Terry, I don’t think I used the term “hundreds of thousands” or any number!!
Terry Pfeiffer says
Sorry Matt, I didn’t say you said that. I was speaking to the “squeamish” comment. And I respect your point of view. I just needed to express mine.
Philip W Nipper says
I agree Mr. Hopwood. Knee jerk reactions seldom provide real structured solutions to problems. This is a huge problem for our county and our allies around the world and a bigger one for the refugees. Simply saying no is not going to solve the problem. However, for purely political reasons, I feel that Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Yeager will want to get on that band wagon before they get left behind. Par for the course I suppose….
Will Smith says
It doesn’t help that the right wingers feel it necessary to lie about the crisis. There is a meme making the rounds in right wing circles, sourced to Glenn Beck, that makes the claim “This man was thoroughly vetted before being allowed into the US” -referring to Nidel Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter. Just a couple of small problems with such a reference. Hasan was born 45 years ago in Arlington, Virginia, making him a middle aged United States citizen.