COLUMBUS – The Republican-dominated Ohio House is urging President Barack Obama to halt the settlement of Syrian refugees in the state and the U.S., citing safety concerns.
The GOP leadership brought a resolution up for a vote Tuesday, the same day it was introduced. It passed 63-24.
No hearings were held on the largely symbolic measure, which comes in the aftermath of coordinated attacks in Paris. Some Democrats called the resolution short-sighted.
“There are no exceptions to the inscription upon the Statue of Liberty that reads, ‘give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’ There is no caveat that says ‘unless we’re afraid of you.’ To turn away refugees seeking religious freedom is an affront to who we are as a nation,” said Rep. David Leland (D-Columbus).
“I served with Americans from all backgrounds and ethnicities,” said Rep. Heather Bishoff (D-Blacklick), an Army veteran. “What are we teaching our kids by not helping other children who have been forced from their homes by violence and whose family may have been killed? We cannot turn away people who are fleeing for their lives.”
Republican Gov. John Kasich is among several governors who are moving to temporarily halt acceptance of Syrian refugees following deadly attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 that left at least 129 people dead. They’re responding to heightened concerns that terrorists might use the refugees as cover to sneak across borders.
Immigrant rights groups argue that states don’t have legal authority to block refugees from being resettled.