A family of seven Syrian refugees was quietly ushered into their new home in Paterson in a climate so tense that the agency working to help the family shunned media attention as Governor Christie continued to rail against bringing them here in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.
The political firestorm over Syrian refugees — which erupted when links between the Paris attackers and the Islamic State group in Syria came to light — has heightened anxieties among advocates, who worry the families they’re working to help will be denied services like Medicaid or food assistance.
The family’s arrival comes two weeks after Christie refused to permit more Syrian refugees to settle in New Jersey and vowed to prevent them from getting public services. Christie, who was campaigning on Monday for the GOP presidential nomination in New Hampshire, again slammed the Obama administration for what he said was a lack of information-sharing about refugees, through a governor’s office spokeswoman. The Obama administration, at the same time, offered a new program for notifying governors about refugees in their states.
Church World Service, one of several agencies that resettles refugees in the U.S., in response to such threats — like Christie’s to shut off funds to refugees — has tried to increase private fundraising and support by reaching out to houses of worship, private groups and individuals, said Will Haney, associate director for external relations in the group’s immigration and refugee program.
“We are trying to create enough resources in case the individuals aren’t able to receive the services, so they will be able to get a good footing in the U.S.,” Haney said.
His group closely guarded the identity of the family that settled in Paterson on Monday, declining to provide information about their background or the circumstances leading to their admission as refugees. The agency at first said it would grant interviews to some media outlets but rescinded that decision out of concern for the family. That reversal followed Christie’s stated ban on permitting more Syrian refugees in New Jersey.
Haney said the agency wants to make sure the family is first “willing and able to talk” and is in a “secure place.”
“We want to make sure that they are in a welcoming environment and they won’t be put at risk,” he said.
Although advocates are concerned about safety amid anti-refugee sentiment and political rhetoric, Haney said that there was “nothing to indicate that they would be at risk in New Jersey.”
The federal-state clash over Syrian refugees — playing out in New Jersey and 30 other states where governors claim refugees could be a threat — is unfolding as the U.S. prepares to settle 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year.
In a statement Monday, a Christie spokeswoman said: “In this case and all prior, the federal government has failed to consult with New Jersey, has shared no security or background information, and can give no assurances about the integrity of the resettlement process.” The governor “will remain opposed to the continuation of this program until the fundamental concerns for our national and state security are addressed,” the statement said.
Heeding the governors’ concerns, the Obama administration said Monday that it would give more information about refugees to governors, but did not back down from its stance that screening by federal law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security officials is exhaustive and thorough.
Christie has not explained how he would bar Syrian refugees from getting state assistance. Experts say he could face legal challenges if he tries to isolate and exclude any one group of residents in New Jersey from public services.
A network of faith groups, community groups and individuals has raised funds for the family moving to Paterson and furnished their apartment with everything from beds, to toiletries, to pots and pans.
Locally, political support has been strong, too. The Passaic County Board of Freeholders unanimously passed a resolution last week welcoming Syrian refugees to the area and claiming that Christie’s attempts to bar them and deny services went against the U.S. Constitution.
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., a Democrat from Paterson, on Monday reiterated his support in a statement welcoming the family.
“I want them to know that they have the full support of the city, the county, the federal government, and my office.” Pascrell said. “And even though the governor may not like it, they have New Jersey’s support as well.”
To date, 75 Syrians have been resettled in New Jersey through the U.S. refugee program, in addition to the seven who arrived Monday. Across the U.S., about 2,200 Syrians have been settled.
Christie told the president in a Nov. 17 letter that he did not want more refugees sent to New Jersey because he was not confident the government could check their backgrounds. He also complained in that letter that state homeland security or law enforcement leaders were not being notified when refugees were settled.
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough proposed a new notification system in a letter to Christie on Monday that was obtained by The Record. Published reports show similar letters were sent to governors of other states.
While McDonough continued to defend the screening process for refugees as “extraordinarily thorough and comprehensive,” he proposed that the National Governors Association and the State Department would work together to gather requests for notification.
Those states that request it would be given information about refugees settled in the prior month and fiscal year and access to a password-protected website that would be updated monthly for each state.
“The monthly report would include the total number of refugees resettled in the state broken down by nationality, age range and gender,” McDonough wrote. “This proposal responds to governors’ input while protecting the privacy of refugee families.”
He also offered to have federal officials brief governors and “discuss working together to improve the program” at the next conference of the governors association.
Email: adely@northjersey.com
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