Cong. McCaul Gov. Abbott & Lt. Gov. Patrick Lead Texas Congressional Delegation Letter to President on Syrian Refugees

We believe your Administration has manifestly failed to reassure and adequately engage State & local governments on these resettlements." Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas   Just this month German authorities disrupted an ISIS plot orchestrated by operatives who arrived pretending to be Syrian refugees. The threat is real" said Congressman Michael McCaul chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee as he was joined by Governor Greg Abbott Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and the entire Texas Republican Congressional delegation in sending a letter to President Obama regarding the Syrian Refugee crisis. Allowing 1000s of Iraqi and Syrian refugees into Texas without careful security and coordination with state officials is dangerous said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (right) calling for the strengthening of immigration background checks of Syrian & Iraqi Refugees. In the wake of the ISIS-inspired attack in Orlando the deadliest on American soil since 9/11 we must be vigilant about shutting down all pathways terrorists could use to get into our country or radicalize our people. That is why the State of Texas must have a say in keeping potentially dangerous individuals from infiltrating it and why communities must be more involved in making sure the refugee program is secure said McCaul.   

We are a compassionate nation but we cannot allow our enemies to take advantage of our humanitarian efforts to do our own people harm" said McCaul.  ISIS has threatened to infiltrate Syrian refugee flows to attack the West and has already done so. Yet the Obama administration has not taken the threat seriously enough and has failed to take the steps needed to keep terrorists out of America" McCaul said.

The letter calls into question the handling of the Syrian refugee crisis by the administration given the stated intention by ISIS to infiltrate the program and exploit it in order to carry out attacks on the west.

• The full letter can be viewed here.

In an excerpt the letter states:

We believe your Administration has manifestly failed to reassure and adequately engage State and local governments on these resettlements" and insists that you work with the State of Texas to reform your Administrations refugee resettlement policies and procedures immediately."

Im happy to join Chairman McCaul in calling on President Obama to help us protect the safety and security of Texans said Lt. Gov. Patrick. In November 2015 Congressman McCauls SAFE Act passed the House. The SAFE Act would require comprehensive background checks of every refugee from Iraq or Syria and certification that each does not pose a threat before they can be admitted into the United States.