Senator Joseph Griffo issued the following statement:
(Nov. 17, 2015) After carefully synchronized attacks terrorized Paris this past weekend, our nation and New York State have been confronted by serious questions concerning how we should respond to an influx of refugees searching for safety. The values and freedoms long treasured by the United States have allowed us to openly welcome people of all nationalities into our country, and the Utica area in particular shows us how culturally enriched a community can become by offering a new life of hope to immigrants and refugees.
But we also must acknowledge that we live in a dramatically different world today, with dangers and threats not easily identified. As it appears that one of the Paris terrorists may have used the refugee process to slip into France, I believe we have an obligation to carefully assess exactly how any future refugees would be allowed into our state.
While at least a dozen governors from across the nation have made clear that they do not want any of these refugees settling into their state, legal precedent appears to suggest that this is a federal issue that cannot be addressed at the state level.
However, I do believe there should be, and I am calling for, an immediate moratorium to be put in place on the admission of any new refugees from specified regions until we are assured that the process is as thorough and as stringent as it should be. Considering the frequent reminders of terror threats from ISIS that can strike anywhere at any time, any states that will host these new refugees have a right to be assured that their communities will not be placed at risk by a potentially flawed screening process.
As secure and as effective as our current refugee screening process may be, our federal government has an obligation to do whatever it can to make those procedures even better. They should be reexamined and redesigned wherever necessary to address any of the concerns and fears that the citizens of our state and our nation may rightfully have.
Finally, as we consider ways to improve the process by which we welcome those seeking to escape terror in their homelands, we need to recognize and appreciate that the threat from ISIS is much more complex, more challenging and more dangerous than some may have initially thought. Our current approach is not effective, and I believe that our nation’s leaders must take firm action to combat this global threat. It is time for our President to seek, and our Congress to authorize, a declaration of war against these identified terror groups, and then lead a global alliance with a clear and comprehensive plan of war utilizing any and all resources necessary to annihilate this nexus of evil from the face of the Earth.
Hanna Issues Statement on ISIS, Terrorist Attacks in Paris
U.S. Representative Richard Hanna issued the following statement in regard to the terror attacks in Paris and around the world and the connection to ISIS:
“The horrifying tragedy in Paris this past Friday highlights the stark and brutal realities of the ongoing conflict in Syria, the rise of ISIS, and the risks of growing Islamic extremism. Although details are still emerging, it appears that at least one of the terrorists entered Europe posing as a Syrian refugee. The attacks in Paris are not isolated events, but rather follow a pattern of several other incidents around the world from Egypt to Lebanon in which the Islamic State has brutally targeted innocent civilians.
“In October 2015, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey reported that his agency did not have the resources to adequately screen incoming Syrian refugees. In light of this startling admission and recent tragedies in Paris, Beirut, Egypt and around the world, Congress has an obligation to re-evaluate our country’s policy with regard to the future admission of Syrian refugees. I am joining with my colleagues in the House to call on the Obama Administration to immediately halt the admission of additional Syrian refugees until it can verify that a thorough and transparent process is in place to fully screen every individual.
“It is also important that we not overlook the Obama Administration’s failure to articulate a coherent direction forward in Syria and against the Islamic State. The President’s current approach of irresponsibly moving from one failed strategy to another is not a sustainable way of promoting stability in the region or protecting our homeland. This Administration must communicate a clearer policy vision for addressing the widening instability in Syria. This is why I have called on the President to work with Congressional leaders to articulate a path forward in Syria and, if necessary, bring a plan to the House floor that can be openly debated and voted upon.”