TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida Governor Rick Scott has sent a letter to the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and members of the Florida Congressional delegation saying the state "will not support the requests we have received" to to take in 425 Syrian refugees.
The Governor's letter is by no means the final word on whether or not Florida will become home to Syrian refugees. Scott's letter also says, "... it is our understanding that the state does not have the authority to prevent the federal government from funding the relocation of these Syrian refugees to Florida even without state support."
Here's the full text of Gov. Scott's letter:
"Please be aware that several organizations have requested that our state Department of Children and Families support the relocation of 425 possible Syrian refugees to Florida, as they receive federal funding to house these refugees in our state. Following the terrorist attacks by ISIS in Paris that killed over 120 people and wounded more than 350, and the news that at least one of the terror attack suspects gained access to France by posing as a Syrian refugee, our state agency will not support the requests we have received.
More importantly, however, it is our understanding that the state does not have the authority to prevent the federal government from funding the relocation of these Syrian refugees to Florida even without state support. Therefore, we are asking the United States Congress to take immediate and aggressive action to prevent President Obama and his administration from using any federal tax dollars to fund the relocation of up to 425 Syrian refugees (the total possible number of refugees pending for state relocation support at this time) to Florida, or anywhere in the United States, without an extensive evaluation of the risk these individuals may pose to our national security.
As the federal elected body that exercises oversight and authorizes federal spending, please take any action available through the powers of the United States Congress to prevent federal allocations toward the relocation of Syrian refugees without extensive examination into how this would affect our homeland security.
My office stands ready to provide any available information regarding this request for your immediate action."
