Barack Obama Says US Must ‘Do Its Part’ By Accepting Syrian Refugees, 25 State Governors Say They Won’t Take Them

United States President Barack Obama has doubled down on his commitment to accept Syrian refugees into the country despite 25 state governors claiming they will refuse refugees in their states. Obama says the U.S. must “do its part” in regards to the refugee crisis by providing Syrian refugees a safe place to live inside our country’s borders. However, many state governors are speaking out against the refugee program following the horrific Paris terrorist attacks that left 129 people dead.

The Daily Mail reports that President Barack Obama is recommitting to provide refuge to Syrian refugees. He says that America must “do its part” by offering a safe place for these people to live. He noted in a speech from the G20 summit in Turkey that “it is important we do not close our hearts to these victims.” He says we also cannot start “equating the issue of refugees with the issue of terrorism.”

Despite his words of support for the Syrian refugees, Obama is having more difficulty convincing state governors to accept the refugees once they are within U.S. borders. At least 25 state governors, 24 Republicans and one Democrat, have said they will not accept Syrian refugees into their state because they fear terrorists could be using the refugee program as a Trojan horse of sorts. The concerns came to a head after it was disclosed that at least two of the terrorists responsible for the horrific Paris terror attack were in the country on refugee status.

As the current U.S. president speaks to the hearts of Americans about the humanitarian nature of the Syrian refugee crisis, GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump is calling the idea of accepting refugees ridiculous. Trump has been vocal about his belief that the Islamic State will use the Syrian refugee program to sneak in terrorists to destroy America from within. He says it is the ultimate “Trojan horse” and that we must not allow them to infiltrate the United States. In a brief video posted to his Instagram account, Trump calls Obama “insane” for even considering the move to allow more Syrian refugees into the U.S.

Trump goes on to point that any of the strong, young men in their prime that are seeking refuge should be back home fighting for their country. He says he has a “big heart,” but he can’t help to wonder why those men aren’t fighting for their own freedom back in their home country. Trump says that Obama is not thinking clearly by accepting the mass migration of the Syrian people and that many of the refugees could actually be Islamic State militants in hiding. He points out that many of the people seeking refugee status do not have the proper paperwork, which can make it almost impossible to ensure the identification of the person seeking refuge.

Another GOP hopeful, Ohio Governor John Kasich, is speaking out against the Syrian refugee program in the United States. A spokesperson for Kasich says that he cannot support the program due to safety and security concerns.

“The governor doesn’t believe the U.S. should accept additional Syrian refugees because security and safety issues cannot be adequately addressed.”

Despite the growing lack of support for the Syrian refugees in the United States, Barack Obama is not backing down and says that leaders at the G20 summit are on his side. He noted during his speech that the leaders were in agreement that they couldn’t relate the refugee crisis with terrorism. He asks for the country to have empathy for the refugees noting that those from Syria are most affected by the Islamic State and include children and families. He says that it was affirmed “again and again” that countries should not “close their hearts” to the victims of Syrian violence.

What do you think about Barack Obama recommitting to the Syrian refugees and his statement that America has an obligation to “do its part” regarding accepting those fleeing Syria due to civil unrest?

[Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images]