Gov. Brown Says Syrian Refugees to California Will Be Vetted
California Gov. Jerry Brown says he’ll work closely with President Barack Obama to ensure any Syrian refugees coming to California are “fully vetted in a sophisticated and utterly reliable way.”
In an emailed statement to The Associated Press, the Democratic governor says the state can help uphold America’s traditional role as a place of asylum while also protecting Californians.
Several U.S. governors are threatening to halt efforts to allow Syrian refugees into their states in the aftermath of the coordinated attacks in Paris. An immigration expert says states have no legal authority to reject refugees.
The governors are responding to heightened concerns that terrorists might use the refugees as cover to sneak across borders.
The Refugee Processing Center says 218 Syrian refugees have arrived in California this year.
Charlie Sheen is going on the Today show to discuss being HIV-positive, sources tell PEOPLE Magazine.
According to top Hollywood publicist and crisis manager Howard Bragman, he was approached by people close to Sheen six months ago to deal with the crisis, but never dealt with him directly. “The interview could open up a lot of sympathy for him, but he has to be concerned about a fear of litigation from former sexual partners. You don’t take that lightly.”
Bragman says he was informed that Sheen “is getting treatment, and a lot of people in his life know about it.”
“It’s been going on for quite awhile. He’s not necessarily comfortable talking about it. It was very hard to get up the courage for him to talk about it.”
“I’ve known about this a long time, it’s not a surprise to me,” says Bragman of the news (which was first reported by the National Enquirer). “I feel very sorry for his pain. And I hope it’s used as a teachable moment for the world. This is a disease that can affect anyone.”
When reached by PEOPLE, Sheen’s longtime publicist Jeff Ballard said they are no longer working together. “We had a disagreement how to handle a situation and we parted ways. We have had a 35-year friendship and I love him. I wish him nothing but the best.”
Hacker group Anonymous have apparently responded to the attacks on Paris by posting a video declaration of war against the terrorist group that calls itself “Islamic State.”
In the as-yet-unverified video, posted on YouTube, a spokesperson wearing the group’s signature Guy Fawkes mask, said the group of hackers would use its expertise to wage “war” on the militant group.
“Expect massive cyber attacks. War is declared. Get prepared,” the announcer says in French.
“Anonymous from all over the world will hunt you down. You should know that we will find you and we will not let you go. We will launch the biggest operation ever against you,” the spokesperson continued, according to translated transcripts of the video.
“Islamic State,” or “IS” as it is also known, operates in parts of Syria and Iraq in its mission to establish a caliphate, but has recently orchestrated more attacks abroad, the latest being Friday’s attack on various bars, restaurants and a concert hall venue in Paris.
A manhunt has begun in Europe to find those that helped the attackers, most of whom wore suicide belts. France retaliated at the weekend by launching more air strikes against IS positions in Syria.
An image from the video posted on YouTube, purported to be from Anonymous.
In Anyonmous’ latest video, the masked spokesperson says in French that “the French people are stronger than you and will come out of this atrocity even stronger,” although the video was not on the group’s official channel.
However, a tweet from the group’s official Twitter account on Sunday said the group was at war with Daesh, (another name for Islamic State).
The hacker group rose to prominence after a series of cyber attacks against individuals, governments and organizations that it does not approve of, including PayPal, Mastercard and the Church of Scientology, among numerous others.
Multiple state governors on Monday added to opposition to relocating Syrian refugees in the United States after deadly terrorist attacks inParis last week.
Since the attacks, Republican governors of 17 states announced they would at least temporarily resist new settlement of migrants, citing security concerns. One Democrat — Gov. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire — urged the federal government to stop admitting refugees until more is known about its vetting process.
The State Department said it would not change its plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year amid ongoing conflict in the country.
Governors of these states spoke out against settlement:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Georgia
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Nebraska
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Ohio
Texas
Wisconsin
Statements by the governors came as President Barack Obamaaddressed the G-20 meeting in Turkey. He called suggestions from political leaders that a religious test be applied to refugees seeking asylum in the U.S., “shameful.”
“That’s not American,” he said. “That’s not who we are. We do not have religious tests to our compassion.”
Europe’s migrant policy has been in focus after it emerged that two suspected attackers may have entered the bloc through Greece. Some European policymakers have urged restraint on a tough response.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said his state will not accept any refugees from Syria, and he called on the U.S. to “act similarly.”
“I — and millions of Americans — implore you to halt your plans to accept more Syrian refugees in the United States,” Abbott wrote in a letter to Obama. “A Syrian ‘refugee’ appears to have been part of the Paris terror attack. American humanitarian compassion could be exploited to expose Americans to similar deadly danger. The reasons for such concerns are plentiful.”
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Monday he would not support requests to settle hundreds of Syrian refugees in the state. Noting that the state does not have the authority to cut off federal support for resettlement, he urged Congress to take “immediate and aggressive action” to cut off funding.
Others like Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence announced they would instruct state agencies to suspend relocation of refugees in their states.
In a statement Monday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized calls to bar refugees from the U.S.
“Defeating ISIS involves projecting American ideals to the world. This un-American rejection of refugees, who will face significant security checks prior to entry, sends entirely the wrong message,” the organization said.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania supported relocation plans, saying the state would not ban Syrian refugees, according to local media.
The moves Monday follow opposition to refugees from Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Sunday.
Bentley said he would oppose any attempt to relocate Syrian refugees to Alabama through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
“The acts of terror committed over the weekend are a tragic reminder to the world that evil exists and takes the form of terrorists who seek to destroy the basic freedoms we will always fight to preserve,” he said in the statement. “I will not place Alabamians at even the slightest, possible risk of an attack on our people.”
No Syrian refugees have been relocated in Alabama to date, Bentley said. He added that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is working with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and federal intelligence partners to monitor any possible threats.
In Michigan, Snyder’s office released a statement Sunday saying it would not accept any Syrian refugees until the Department of Homeland Security fully reviewed its procedures, according to theDetroit Free Press.
Michigan is home to the second-largest number of Arab immigrants among U.S. states, according to the Arab American Institute. There are 120,000 Michiganders of Lebanese and Syrian descent, and 100,000 of Iraqi descent, according to U.S. website Arab America. Many are Christians.
“Michigan is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of immigration,” Snyder said in the statement, according to the newspaper. “But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents.”
Kristine Van Noord, a refugee program manager for Bethany Christian Services in Michigan, told a local radio station in October that the organization settled 27 Syrian refugees in the last fiscal year and was expecting the number for next year to be “much, much higher.”
