GOP Governors Race To Ban Syrian Refugees From Their States, Forget They Don’t Have That Authority

In the wake of Friday’s Paris attacks, Republican governors are working to ban Syrian refugees from their states. 

At least 15 of America’s 31 Republican governors – and likely many more by day’s end – have announced they will not allow any Syrian refugees to enter their states in the wake of Friday’s horrific Paris attacks by ISIS. 129 people died, hundreds more are wounded, many seriously, and news reports state one of the terrorists entering Europe may have been “embedded” among the attackers.

Greg Abbott of Texas, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Rick Snyder of Michigan, Mike Pence of Indiana, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Robert Bentley of Alabama, Pat McCrory of North Carolina, Bruce Rauner of Illinois, Doug Ducey of Arizona, Rick Scott of Florida, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Scott Walker of Wisconsin, and John Kasich of Ohio have all stated they will refuse to allow Syrian refugees into their states.

That may play well to their conservative bases, but banning refugees from your state isn’t legal.

NEW: Chris Christie: No Syrian Refugees, ‘Not Even 5-Year Old Orphans’

The Refugee Act of 1980 gives the President “broad discretion,” as Ian Millhiser at ThinkProgress notes, to accept refugees, including those from Syria. He adds, “there is no lawful means that permits a state government to dictate immigration policy to the president.”

Some responses via Twitter: 

UPDATE I: 6:00 PM EST –

Add Kansas gov. Sam Brownback to the list:

 

 

Image by april via Flickr and a CC license