Governor Pat McCrory is asking President Obama and the federal government to stop sending Syrian refugees to North Carolina.
His announcement comes as a growing number of Republican governors say they'll refuse to accept refugees from Syria in light of Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris. Nearly 130 people were killed and hundreds more injured.
At a press conference in Charlotte, McCrory says he's empathetic to Syrians who have fled their country for a better life, but safety is a key concern.
“They're coming from governments that aren't well organized and we want to know more about the vetting process. I'm not sure if non-profits are doing that vetting process,” says McCrory. “The federal government has made statements that they do a thorough security check, but I don't know how that's done. We want to make sure they have the proper background checks before they're accepted into the state of North Carolina.”
The list of governors taking action againt Syrian refugees continues to grow, but there is little state officials can do to impede the federal process.
Andrew Timbie with the resettlement agency World Relief says the situation is a far cry from what happened in Europe and rigorous secruity checks are in place for any refugees that are resettled in North Carolina.
“We know everybody who is coming here and we know everybody's name that is coming through the resettlement process as well,” says Timbie. “It's sad that we're reacting so strongly without knowing all of the facts.”
According to the Governor's office, North Carolina has received 59 refugees from Syria since the beginning of 2014. WFDD reported recently on a family who is among a small handful of Syrian refugees resettling in the Triad.
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(Audio from Gov. McCrory's press conference in Charlotte was provided by WSOC TV & WFAE Public Radio.)