Rauner Defends Stance On Temporarily Refusing Syrian Refugees
John Gregory -- Illinois Radio Network
Gov. Bruce Rauner is defending his stance on temporarily stopping Syrian refugees from coming into Illinois, but doesn't explain why he believes he has the authority to do so.
The Refugee Act of 1980 gives the federal government the authority on matters of refugee resettlement, and mentions nothing about governors being able to block refugees from coming into their states.
Gov. Bruce Rauner paints the issue as a matter of security, saying the vetting process for people coming out of Syria has gaps which need to be addressed, but he wouldn't elaborate on why he believes it's in his power to block their entry into Illinois.
"There are many legal options that we are exploring and will explore," Rauner said, "but again, it doesn't matter what any one state does. It doesn't matter what aany small group of states does. What matters is a coordinated, cooperative, highly communicative effort."
Rauner claims the Obama administration isn't fostering that kind of effort.
"The federal government is not communicating with us in the states about who is being admitted in the refugee program, what their backgrounds are, where they're being sent, and that doesn't allow us to be effective partners in trying to prevent attacks against the American people," Rauner said.
Rauner complimented Illinois' own counter-terrorism units, and said they are capable of handling classified information about refugees if the federal government would provide it.