Hey! Just because our governor hasn’t come out against the invasion doesn’t mean we want it.
November 17, 2015
BISMARCK, N.D. -
Governor Jack Dalrymple plans to send a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to halt plans to resettle Syrian refugees in this country until an exhaustive review of all security and screening measures has been completed and inadequacies revealed by a top administration official have been addressed. Dalrymple's letter cites testimony by the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, who before Congress admitted to certain inadequacies in the system that would prevent the thorough vetting of the 10,000 refugees the administration has pledged to admit into the U.S.
This afternoon, Dalrymple will join other governors on a call with senior administration officials from the White House, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the U.S. Department of State and the National Counterterrorism Center to express his concerns with the administration's plan to resettle Syrian refugees in this country. Dalrymple will call on the federal government to review the process for conducting background checks on all applicants for asylum and address the gaps acknowledged by FBI Director Comey.
"For generations, our country has welcomed individuals and families seeking safety and asylum within the borders of the United States," said Dalrymple. "However, I am deeply concerned about the recent terrorist attacks carried out in France and the potential for this situation to arise in the U.S., especially given the testimony by FBI Director James Comey revealing gaps in the refugee screening system."
"Ensuring the safety and security of North Dakotans, as well as all Americans, is a top priority for us all, and so I urge the administration to halt the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the U.S. until the system has been reviewed and we can be assured that our citizens will be safe."