FAIRBANKS—Alaska Gov. Bill Walker will not fight the federal government's attempts to help Syrian refugees resettle in the United States, his office announced Tuesday.
The announcement came as state Republicans and Alaska's congressional delegation warned against settling Syrian refugees in the state due to perceived security concerns after last week's terror attacks in France and Lebanon.
Walker said he made the decision following a 90-minute conference call between governors, the White House, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State Department. The call was coordinated by the National Governors Association as a way to provide them information on the refugee resettlement process.
"My highest concern is the safety of all Alaskans, and I appreciate the work being done by Catholic Social Services to help refugees settle in our state and become valuable members of our community," Walker said in a statement. "I am committed to working with the federal government to ensure the highest level of safety for the citizens of Alaska and the United States, and I want to make sure Alaska officials play a role in refugee relocations efforts in our state."
http://www.newsminer.com/news/governor-vows-not-to-block-syrian-refugee-relocation-to-alaska/article_d1c401c4-8da7-11e5-a77b-1fac76b96f6b.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
