Survey: 53 percent of Americans say no more Syrian refugees

Even as a new national survey says a majority of Americans don't want to let in any more Syrian refugees, fearing terrorists will gain a foothold, and politicians argue the best action for the nation, officials of some cities — including Swisher — announced they'll open their doors.

After Gov. Terry Branstad reversed course Tuesday and ordered all state agencies to halt work on Syrian refugee resettlements 'immediately,' Swisher Mayor Christopher Taylor signed a proclamation that reads, in part, that 'Swisher continues to welcome all visitors and prospective residents, regardless of national origin or refugee status,' according to a news release.

Taylor said the proclamation is in direct response to Branstad's announcement, which matches similar decisions made by 32 other governors following the Friday attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people.

Authorities believe at least one of the terrorists involved in the attacks made his way into France among the thousands of migrants who have been flowing out of war-torn Syria and into Europe.

'People find all kinds of creative ways to justify their prejudices, but we need to rise above that,' Taylor said in the release. 'These folks have come through a storm, often with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs.

'They want a better life and they want it here. What would it say about us — as a nation, as Iowans, as compassionate human beings — if we were to turn them away?'

The Chicago City Council passed a 'symbolic' resolution Wednesday that said the city would accept Syrian refugees.

Branstad on Monday said, 'We have welcomed refugees from around the world into Iowa. We must continue to have compassion for others, but we must also maintain the safety of Iowans and the security of our state ...

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'Until a thorough and thoughtful review is conducted by the intelligence community and the safety of Iowans can be assured, the federal government should not resettle any Syrian refugees in Iowa,' he said.

On Wednesday, Iowa's U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley called for Congress to limit funds for the resettlement of Syrian refugees until it is confident they will be properly vetted to reduce the likelihood of terrorists entering the United States.

In his weekly conference call with reporters, he called it 'prudent' to put resettlement on hold until intelligence agencies have signed off on the vetting protocol.

Grassley's concern stems from reports that at least one of the Islamic State terrorists in Paris had recently registered as a Syrian refugee in Greece. Also, Grassley cited comments by FBI Director James Comey during congressional testimony that 'there are certain gaps …

in the data available to us' in screening Syrian refugees.

That includes fingerprints and background or biographic information crucial for an adequate screening of potential refugees, Grassley said.

Although the United States is a 'welcoming nation,' Grassley said it is the 'No. 1 responsibility' of the president and Congress to 'protect the homeland and to secure the country against all threats.'

Delaying refugee resettlement until they can be properly vetted is necessary to 'prevent a Paris-style attack from happening here.'

He added that President Barack Obama's recent remarks about opposition from Republican presidential candidates and governors shows he is 'somewhat in denial' about the concern over refugee resettlement and forgetting his 'No. 1 responsibility is to protect Americans.'

The United States, Grassley noted, will accept about 75,000 non-Syrian refugees this year.

The Iowa Republican interrupted his comments during the conference call to cite a news report that eight suspected Islamic State members were arrested while posing as refugees attempting to enter Germany.

Immigration law experts have said governors likely cannot legally halt the federal government's resettlement of refugees. On Tuesday, U.S. House Majority Leader Paul Ryan called for a 'pause' admitting Syrian refugees.

Measuring sentiment

Meanwhile, a Bloomberg Politics National Poll released Wednesday said most Americans want the United States to stop letting in Syrian refugees amid fears of terrorist infiltrations after the Paris attacks. That sides with Republican presidential candidates, governors and lawmakers who want to freeze the Obama administration's resettlement program.

The findings are part of the poll that also showed the nation divided on whether to send U.S. troops to Iraq and Syria to fight the Islamic State, an idea President Obama opposes, and whether the U.S. government is doing enough to protect the homeland from a comparable attack.

Fifty-three percent of adults in the survey, conducted in the days immediately following the Paris attacks, said the nation should not continue a program to resettle up to 10,000 Syrian refugees.

Just 28 percent would keep the program with the screening process as it now exists, while 9 percent said they would favor a limited program to accept only Syrian Christians while excluding Muslims, a proposal Obama has dismissed as 'shameful' and un-American.

More broadly, Bloomberg's survey noted that terrorism and the Islamic State group had surged to the top of Americans' concerns immediately following the deadly attacks, even as Republicans and Democrats remain divided over how best to address threats.

The percentage of those rating terrorism or the Islamic State as top concerns has nearly doubled since the poll last was taken in September.

At the same time, numbers for those who think the United States is on the right track fell to 23 percent, the lowest rating in more than three years, Bloomberg said. Obama's disapproval rating rose to 51 percent, up four percentage points since September.

These trends may offer momentum to the Republican leaders of Congress as they begin hearings and consider threatening a government shutdown over Obama's Syria policies, even as 64 percent of Americans say Islam is an inherently peaceful religion.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175, mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com; (319) 398-8375, james.lynch@thegazette.com

Bloomberg News contributed to this story