Lawmakers Want Oklahoma To Refuse To Accept Syrian Refugees

State representatives want Oklahoma to join a handful of other states in refusing to accept Syrian refugees in wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France.

Governor Fallin has yet to make an official announcement. But legislators in the Anti-Terrorism Caucus have written Governor Fallin a letter, stating the Syrian refugee crisis is a, “Huge public safety and homeland security issue.”

Head of the caucus, Representative John Bennett, told News 9, “We have no obligation to take (the refugees) into our country… we don’t know if we’re accepting terrorists or not.”

Texas, Arkansas, Michigan and Alabama governors have already announced they will not accept any refugees from Syria.

11/16/2015 Related Story: More States Say No To Syrian Refugees After Paris Attacks

Texas Governor Greg Abbot wrote to President Obama, “I am directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Refugee Resettlement Program to not participate in the resettlement of an Syrian refugees.”   

According to the New York Times, the United States has accepted 1,854 since the Syrian conflict started. Of which, ten refugees are in Oklahoma and the Times reports those ten are in Jenks, Oklahoma.

In September, President Obama instructed his administration to accept to take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year.

Monday at the G20 Summit in Turkey, President Obama said of accepting refugees, "Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values.”