We denounce U.S. Senator Mark Kirk’s renewed efforts to block Syrian refugees from resettling in the United States. The Senator’s call for a temporary halt in Syrian refugee admissions continues to blame Syrian refugees for the very violence they are escaping. Furthermore, this simply renews calls for an approach that failed in the U.S. Senate last month.
Refugees already undergo the most rigorous screening process of any group of people who come to the United States. It is wrong to condemn groups without reason solely based on their nationality, national origin, or other protected grounds.
Exercising true leadership does not mean turning our backs on refugees who are seeking safe harbor from the very terrorism we abhor. We urge Senator Kirk to reverse this misguided and failed approach and affirm the need to welcome Syrian refugees who are fleeing the brutality of ISIS.
