Moulton Criticizes Plan to Keep Syrian Refugees Out

By ADAM SWIFT (Patch Staff)

Sixth Congressional District Representative Seth Moulton is against Governor Charlie Baker’s decision not to let Syrian refugees into Massachusetts in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.

On Monday, Baker joined a number of other Republican governors in stating that the state would not be accepting refugees from Syria for the time being.

“I would say no as of right now,” Baker said at the State House Monday. “No, I’m not interested in accepting refugees from Syria. My view on this is the safety and security of the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is my highest priority. So I would set the bar very high on this.”

Baker said he wants to learn more about the federal government’s plans for accepting refugees ”and how it’s going to be actually implemented and executed.”

Governors in several states, including Arkansas, Alabama, Michigan, and Texas, all declared their state’s refusal to accept relocated Syrian refugees on Monday, the Associated Press reported.

However, on Facebook on Tuesday, Moulton criticized the actions being taken to keep Syrian refugees out of Massachusetts and the United States.

“Slamming the door on all refugees is morally wrong, un-American and it won’t help us defeat ISIS,” stated Moulton. “It’s acting out of fear. One thing I have always been proud of is that we never let the enemy change our values here in America.”

The federal government plans to take in up to 10,000 refugees over the next 12 months, about 2,000 of whom have already reached America’s shores. Hundreds of thousands have escaped the Middle East to Europe.