Jindal issues executive order to prevent Syrian refugees from entering Louisiana

[R Glass]

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has issued an executive order to prevent more Syrian refugees from entering into Louisiana. The Governor tweeted about it Monday morning.

Additional Links
Some governors halt, question plan to accept Syrian refugees

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered state health officials in charge of Texas' refugee resettlement program not to accept any more Syrians following the Paris terrorist attacks.

In a letter Monday to President Barack Obama, Abbott also urged scrapping federal plans to accept more Syrian refugees into the country as a whole. He said the federal government can't perform "proper security checks" on Syrians.

Texas joins Alabama, where Gov. Robert Bentley announced Sunday that he would refuse Syrian refugees relocating to his state.

In Michigan, fellow Republican Gov. Rick Synder is postponing efforts to accept Syrian refugees until federal officials review security procedures.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he will "do everything humanly possible" to stop the federal government from putting any Syrian refugees in the state.


Louisiana State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson and Director of GOHSEP Kevin Davis are holding a news conference at 2 p.m. to discuss Gov. Jindal's executive order and Syrian refugees in Louisiana.

Governor Jindal Issues Executive Order to Prevent the Resettlement of Syrian Refugees in the State of LouisianaToday, Governor Bobby Jindal issued an Executive Order to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the State of Louisiana. EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. ** 2015 – 27
___________________________________________________________PROTECTING LOUISIANA AMID OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PLANS FOR RESETTLEMENT OF SYRIAN REFUGEES
___________________________________________________________WHEREAS, Article I, Section 1 of the Louisiana Constitution is titled “Origin and Purpose of Government”, and provides

“All government, of right, originates with the people, is founded on their will alone, and is instituted to protect the rights of the individual and for the good of the whole.  Its only legitimate ends are to secure justice for all, preserve peace, protect the rights, and promote the happiness and general welfare of the people.  The rights enumerated in this Article are inalienable by the state and shall be preserved inviolate by the state.”

WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 5 the Louisiana Constitution establishes the governor as the chief executive officer of the State and during times of emergency or the threat of emergency, the governor has emergency powers to protect the citizens and property of the State of Louisiana;

WHEREAS, when the threat of an emergency is foreseeable, it is prudent to implement common sense, precautionary measures to prevent the occurrence of the emergency and eliminate the need to trigger emergency legal authorities;
                                              
WHEREAS, on Friday night, November 13, 2015, more than 120 people were killed and over 350 others wounded in a series of terrorist attacks in Paris, France;

WHEREAS, these attacks were conducted by Islamic extremists, at least one of them a recent Syrian refugee, and the radical terrorist Islamic State (ISIS) soon claimed responsibility;

WHEREAS, the State of Louisiana has been denied critical information by the federal government regarding Syrian refugees already relocated into this state, creating an untenable situation;WHEREAS, it is foreseeable that the introduction of Syrian refugees into the United States without proper prior screening and follow-up monitoring could result in a threat to the citizens and property of this State.NOW THEREFORE, I, BOBBY JINDAL, Governor of the State of Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows:SECTION 1: All departments, budget units, agencies, offices, entities, and officers of the executive branch of the State of Louisiana are authorized and directed to utilize all lawful means to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the State of Louisiana while this Order is in effect.

SECTION 2: The Louisiana State Police, upon receiving information of a Syrian refugee already relocated within the State of Louisiana, are authorized and directed to utilize all lawful means to monitor and avert threats within the State of Louisiana.

SECTION 3: All departments, budget units, agencies, offices, entities, and officers of the executive branch of the State of Louisiana are authorized and directed to cooperate in the implementation of the provisions of this Order.SECTION 4: The Order is effective November 16, 2015 and shall remain in effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the Governor, or terminated by operation of law.IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the City of Baton Rouge, on this 16th day of November, 2015.
Bobby Jindal         _____
GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANAATTEST BY
THE GOVERNOR
Tom Schedler________
SECRETARY OF STATE

http://www.wafb.com/story/30528528/gov-jindal-issues-executive-order-to-prevent-more-syrian-refugees-from-entering-louisiana

[orphanedhawk]

On Sunday more than 1,000 people overflowed a ballroom at California State University, Long Beach to honor Nohemí González, the 23-year-old student who was shot dead on Friday during the Paris attacks. González was a senior at the school. She was studying for a semester at Strate College of Design in suburban Paris. On Friday she was eating at a restaurant fired upon by gunmen. Nohemí González has been described as a proud first-generation Mexican American. We speak with her cousin, Miriam Padilla. "We are angry that my cousin is dead, but we are also angry that there are hundreds of children in other families that are dying in Syria, in Iraq and in other parts of the world," Padilla says.

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/11/17/we_are_angry_over_death_of

[orphanedhawk]

Blaming Syrian refugees is a knee jerk reaction fueling bigotry.
The people who bombed Paris are extremists. They don't care about the refugees either.

We have home grown terrorism right here committed by disturbed people with guns who shoot innocent children, college students, etc. They  are indeed terrorists.

Let's not forget the values of  compassion just because of this horrific event.

[desrt]

...... and yet we were able to relocate 100,000 Somalis to Detroit?
Oh, that's right we're shrinking all parts of the government except the military and the prison system.
We certainly could have used stricter border control when we let Ted Cruz' father wander across the border on his way to Canada.

http://www.alternet.org/world/watch-obama-slams-shameful-gop-proposals-religious-test-refugees-shameful-not-american

[Dee1956]

Good one!  :)

[clement4now]

I don't blame these Governors for taking a stand against accepting Syrian refugees. It's been said by a few people that America doesn't have the ability to properly screen these people.  Basically we don't know how to confirm their identity, nor will we have access to past records.  We already have thousands (+) of people that we can't keep track of in this country due to lack of resources, we don't need anymore...

Candice Miller, Vice Chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that there is no database on Syria, making it impossible to screen these refugees.

FBI Director James Comey has said that the Federal Government does not have the ability to conduct thorough background checks on all of the 10,000 refugees.

http:// www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2015/11/16/syrian-refugees-governors-glance

[brice1967]

I do not have a problem with this.  We don't have an adequate vetting process in place and until we do, I think we need to tread carefully.  Will it stop an attack here?  Who knows... but it is certainly worth the caution as especially as long as I have to take my shoes off to hop a plane.