NOVEMBER 17, 2015, 1:40 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015, 4:53 PM
BY DUSTIN RACIOPPI
STATE HOUSE BUREAU |
THE RECORD
Governor Christie on Tuesday officially notified President Obama that he will not accept any Syrian refugees following last weekend’s terrorist attacks in Paris, citing a “broken federal monitoring system” and the “very real threat” of an attack on New Jersey by the Islamic State.
Christie, who is running for the Republican party nomination for president, sent the letter a day after two dozen other governors announced they would close their states to Syrians fleeing the war-torn country. On Monday night Christie told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that he would not accept any refugees, a shift in his position from two months ago.
His refusal appears to have no authority, however. While states can refuse to offer their resources to the federal government, the Refugee Act of 1980 gives the president the power to allow refugees into the states. Florida Gov. Rick Scott also acknowledged in a letter to Congress on Monday that “it is our understanding that the state does not have the authority to prevent the federal government from funding the relocation of these Syrian refugees to Florida even without state support.” And foreign affairs, including immigration, are the responsibility of the president.
