Lawmakers urge Md. Gov. Hogan to ease stance on Syrian refugees

Maryland, Washington Post, May 11, 2016 – Several dozen Maryland state lawmakers, including Democratic House nominee Jamie B. Raskin, have written Gov. Larry Hogan (R), urging him to endorse the settlement of Syrian refugees in the state.
Hogan joined other governors last year in saying he would oppose the entry of refugees unless the federal government could provide specific assurances that they are properly vetted and do not pose a security threat.
State Department officials have said repeatedly that all refugees — including Syrians — undergo rigorous screening before being granted refu¬gee status.
Since Oct. 1, 27 refugees from Syria have been resettled in Maryland, according to the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center. Such resettlements are generally coordinated between the State Department and nonprofit groups — state governments cannot halt the flow even if they want to. Nine Syrians were resettled in November, one in January, 10 in March and seven in April.
The legislators’ letter to Hogan said the signers were troubled that some elected officials “want us to turn our back” on “our essential values and laws.”
“Our nation and our state were founded to give people fleeing persecution a safe haven,” the letter said. “Welcoming Syrian refugees. . . speaks to our best traditions and hopes for the future.”
The letter was initiated by Raskin, a state senator from Montgomery County and the Democratic nominee to succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D), and Dels. Brooke E. Lierman (D-Baltimore) and David Moon (D-Montgomery).
“Maryland itself was founded by early refugees, seeking freedom,” Lierman said. “Today, those refugees are from all over the world, including Syria, and they need our compassion.”
The letter said Hogan and his administration should not succumb to “demagoguery and paranoia” regarding Syrian refugees. It echoed statements in recent months from local government leaders in Montgomery, Prince George’s and Howard counties, Baltimore city and several towns and cities in the Washington suburbs, all of which said the state should welcome refugees.