Dozens of Missouri legislators have joined together in requesting that Gov. Jay Nixon block Syrian refugees from settling in the state. Rep. Tila Hubrecht is among those lawmakers.
In addition to joining several lawmakers in their request, Hubrecht also penned a letter, which she sent to Nixon addressing her concerns.
In the opening paragraph of her letter to Nixon, Hubrecht makes the request that Nixon, "...inform the Obama Administration that Missouri will not accept additional Syrian refugees. You, as Governor of Missouri, can make this happen."
Technically, though, it has been made known that governors cannot refuse refugees. According to the 1980 Refugee Act, the federal government can place refugees anywhere. But, a state can make the process more difficult by cutting its own funding to resettle refugees, according to Kevin Appleby, director of migration policy at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Hubrecht said that her concern was one of security.
"I'm worried that it could be a 'Trojan Horse'," she explained. "There have been reports of numerous refugees who are single men coming over as refugees. Supposedly, they have left their wives and children behind to check things out ahead of time. What kind of husband or father would do that?"
Hubrecht also noted that there are thousands of homeless American veterans who aren't getting the support that refugees would.
"We have issues with homelessness already, and we aren't doing anything to fix that," Hubrecht explained. "We have issues concerning our own children and services they need from the Department of Mental Health. Why don't we focus on those issues?"
In her letter to Nixon, Hubrecht goes on to say, "...ISIS has pledged to attack America at home. As the recent attacks in Paris show, this is not an idle threat. Furthermore, significant evidence exists that ISIS terrorists who participated in the Paris attacks used the Refugee system to gain access to Western Europe."
In a Monday statement, Nixon called on the federal government to ensure strong safeguards. But he did not say he would pause refugee relocations as governors in a number of other states have pledged to do.
The executive director of the Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates group says the state should welcome refugees fleeing violence.
"The governor hasn't taken a stand either way on this issue," Hubrecht remarked. "There's talk of having a special session to address these concerns."
Hubrecht said she would like to see the refugees helped, but she said she would like to see a more "common sense" approach to the situation. In her letter to Nixon, Hubrecht cited a personal perspective on the issue: "On a more personal note Governor Nixon, my husband, brother and so many more Missourians risked their lives and well-being to keep us safe from terrorists. In my husband's unit that deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, not all came home, some made the ultimate sacrifice for our safety. I beg you to show to the world that the sacrifices made by our military has not been in vain and we will keep our country safe."
Hubrecht said she also has financial concerns regarding the resettlement of refugees.
According to the Missouri Department of Social Services website, refugees would receive housing, medical care, a cash allowance, and education services for their children. Those benefits, however, are not particular to Syrian refugees as they are available to any refugee resettling in the state.
"When you look at the benefits these refugees would receive, it's amazing. And not in a good way," she remarked. "When you consider the security risk along with the financial burden, you have to ask if we really want to risk fighting this battle here on our own soil."