Louisiana Gov. and GOP presidential candidate Bobby Jindal signed an executive order Monday that calls on state agencies to stop the relocation of Syrian refugees in the state.
Over the weekend, Mr. Jindal, the state’s two-term governor, sent a letter to the Obama administration demanding to know more about the refugees that have already been relocated in New Orleans in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, which left more than 120 people dead and hundreds more injured.
The Republican took his opposition a step further Monday by directing state agencies and the rest of the executive branch “to utilize all lawful means to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Louisiana while the order is in effect.”
“The Louisiana State Police, upon receiving information of a Syrian refugee already relocated within the state of Louisiana, are authorized and directed to utilize all lawful means to monitor and avert threats within the state,” the order reads.
The terrorist attack in Paris has thrust the issue of national defense to the forefront of the 2016 presidential race, and GOP presidential candidates are calling on President Obama to rethink his push to relocate refugees.
Mr. Obama, though, is refusing to change his plans.
In the executive order, Mr. Jindal said his administration has been “denied critical information by the federal government regarding Syrian refugees already relocated into this state, creating an untenable situation.”
“It is foreseeable that the introduction of Syrian refugees into the United States without proper prior screening and follow-up monitoring could result in a threat to the citizens and property of this state,” the order reads.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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