Governors of half the states – nearly all of them Republicans – are are objecting to plans to bring Syrian refugees into the U.S.
Ohio’s John Kasich is among them. The Republican presidential candidate told the National Press Club today that he’s asked the federal government to temporarily block more refugees.
“Until we get a handle on where we are, we need to stop. And once we have a rational program and we can determine who it is that’s coming, then it’s another story. But for at this point in time, in light of what we’re seeing in the world, it’s reasonable to stop.”
Kasich says that does not mean he is ignoring the refugees.
“I’ve done many, many things to make sure that people who find themselves in the shadows are taken care of. And I’ll continue to do it. But you also have to be in a position of where you’re not going to jeopardize other people. And that’s the problem here.”
Kasich acknowledged the states can only raise concerns, and have no authority to shut the door on refugees. He suggested if there’s a no-fly zone over Syria, as he’s called for, that country could be protected by Jordanian and Kurdish forces as a sanctuary for the refugees.