Waterford Township , MI : Waterford Twp. OKs act to halt Syrian resettlement on Monday October 24th 2016

Waterford Township leaders Monday approved a measure to stop participating in a federal resettlement program for Syrian refugees until reforms are in place and security issues addressed.

The board passed a resolution that cited federal authorities testifying before Congress, “that refugees from failed states such as Syria cannot be adequately vetted to ensure that they do not have terrorist ties because the necessary records do not exist.”

The action may be moot. Michigan and other states cannot legally deny refugees entry into a state because the federal government has jurisdiction over refugee placement. But a federal bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would allow local communities to opt out.

Still, board members said they wanted to take a stand. “This is just to notify the other elected officials that this is how we feel right now,” Trustee Anthony Bartolotta said.

The measure also notes the high number of refugees resettling in Michigan, “gaps in communication between federal vendors and local governments and schools prior to the placement,” as well as “significant unfunded financial burdens for receiving states, counties and local communities to provide public assistance to meet refugee needs for schools, law enforcement, housing and health care.”

The resolution calls for the township to “not actively participate in the Refugee Resettlement Program until the program has been significantly reformed, and unit it has been demonstrated that the townships of Oakland County have the capacity to absorb refugees without diverting funds from needy residents or exposing their residents to unwarranted security risks.”

The board stressed the resolution, approved unanimously, is not a ban or based on bias.

“We talked to Homeland Security and law enforcement,” Supervisor Gary Wall said. “When law enforcement agencies say there’s a problem, there’s a red flag that goes up. The bottom line is until we’re sure of this process, we have to protect what’s ours.”