Durbin pushes Ill. governor to allow Syrian refugees

“I urge you to end your opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Illinois and instead join me in working to close loopholes in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and federal gun laws that truly endanger the safety of Illinoisans,” the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat wrote in a letter to Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, on Monday. 

{mosads}Rauner is one of dozens of governors who have said they are opposed to accepting Syrian refugees in their states out of concern for the safety of their residents.

“[L]et’s be clear about where the greatest terrorism threat lies: not with children and families fleeing ISIS, but in glaring loopholes in the law that could allow what happened in Paris to happen somewhere in America,” Durbin added on Monday. 

Durbin is supporting legislation, expected to be formally introduced after Congress’s weeklong Thanksgiving recess, that would require anyone who has traveled to Iraq or Syria in the past five years to get a visa to travel to the United States. 

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry also sent a letter to Rauner last week detailing the vetting process for refugees. 

Durbin is also asking that Rauner meet with Syrian refugees currently living in Illinois ahead of Thanksgiving, adding that “since the international community’s tragic failure to shelter Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi genocide, the American people have welcomed millions of refugees fleeing war and totalitarian regimes.” 

Lance Trover, director of communications for Rauner, said that the governor spoke with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday.

“Deputy Secretary Mayorkas expressed his interest in helping address the Governor’s requests for information about Syrian refugees coming to Illinois but said privacy concerns may preclude the federal government from sharing such information,” Trover added.

He noted that Mayorkas agreed to “assemble a team” to tackle the governor’s questions and would schedule a time to brief the governor.

Durbin isn’t the first lawmaker to weigh in on his or her home state’s decision on refugees. Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) sent a letter to Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) asking him to reject Syrian refugees until questions about the vetting and resettlement program are answered.

This story was updated at 3:49 p.m.