Governors around the country have issued statements rejecting Syrian refugees from their states following Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris but Governor Bill Walker is focused on Alaska’s fiscal crisis.
Spokeswoman Katie Marquette says the Governor Walker has been focused on solving Alaska’s budget woes and has not considered trying to stop the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Alaska.
As of Monday afternoon, the 23 governors in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin have cited concerns that terrorists might use Syrian refugees to infiltrate U.S. borders.
In a Facebook post, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan requested a robust verification system for any Syrian refugees in order to ensure potential terrorists are not allowed into the United States. He says no such system currently exists.
Senior U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski also stated via Facebook that she will work to mitigate the refugee crisis with our country’s security as a top priority.
While other governors could defund state departments as a way to interfere with refugee resettlement, Alaska’s Catholic Social Services works with national groups to place refugees.