U.S. House passes bill to suspend refugee resettlements
Despite a veto threat by President Barack Obama, the U.S. House on Thursday approved a bill that would effectively suspend the process for more Syrian refugees to be resettled in the U.S., a measure that, if enacted, could derail efforts to integrate more refugees into Michigan.
Until last Friday’s deadly attacks in Paris, Gov. Rick Snyder and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan had been among the most enthusiastic supporters of moving more refugees displaced by fighting in Syria into the state, with more being resettled in Michigan in recent years than in any other states but California and Texas.
But since then, Snyder has discontinued his efforts, calling for a review of security vetting, and several of the state’s Republican members of Congress — like others from across the U.S., including many governors — demanded that the refugee program to be at least temporarily halted amid worries that it could provide a way for terrorists to enter the nation, despite the Obama administration’s assurances to the contrary.
Source: www.freep.com