US states reject Syrian refugees

Governors representing nearly half of the 50 US states rejected on Monday plans to resettle Syrian refugees there amid fear they could pose a threat to Americans.

The backlash was sparked after the violent attacks on Friday night in Paris, where a Syrian passport was discovered alongside the body of one of the murderers.

US President Barack Obama has said in the past he would accept around 10,000 refugees from the war-torn country in the Middle East. Now some governors are pushing back at the president, saying the resettlement plan would make the US susceptible to a terrorist attack similar to the one in Paris.

'Everything humanly possible'

"I will do everything humanly possible to stop any plans from the Obama administration to put Syrian refugees in Mississippi," said Gov. Phil Bryant.

In addition to Mississippi, the following states have voiced their opposition to Obama's resettlement plan: Texas, Arizona, Alabama, Michigan, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Republican presidential hopefuls, including Jeb Bush and Donald Trump, have also said they would not admit Syria refugees.

Obama said Syrian refugees would be accepted over the next year and distributed around the country. Many of them would go to cities where they have familial ties, such as Detroit, New York or Los Angeles.

blc/jil (AP, AFP)