Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal demanded Saturday that the Obama administration keep him informed on the Syrian refugees that are being placed in his home state, saying he is erring on the side of caution following the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Mr. Jindal, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, sent a letter to President Obama urging him to “pause” the entire relocation effort until more is known about the attacks that left more than 120 people dead. He also questioned the level of screening the refugees are undergoing and whether they will be monitored moving forward — pointing out that one of the attackers reportedly was a Syrian refugee.
“As Americans, we embolden freedom and opportunity to the rest of the world, but by opening up our borders and refusing to collaborate or share information with states, you are threatening that reality,” Mr. Jindal wrote.
Mr. Jindal noted that that some of the refugees have already been placed in New Orleans.
“As with former immigration crises and federal relocation policy, Louisiana has been kept in the dark about those seeking refuge in the state. It is irresponsible and severely disconcerting to place individuals, who may have ties to ISIS, in a state without the state’s knowledge or involvement,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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