White House Holds Call With 34 Governors on Syrian Refugees

The White House sought Tuesday to reassure U.S. governors concerned about accepting Syrian refugees following the attacks in Paris, explaining during a conference call how the refugees are screened and prioritized for entry.

Of the 34 governors who participated in the 90-minute call, 13 asked questions, according to the White House. Senior officials on the call included President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and representatives from the Departments of Homeland Security, State and Health and Human Services, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center.

Administration officials have said screening for Syrian refugees includes an interview overseas, biometrics, fingerprinting and biographical investigations to determine if individuals are truly worthy of refugee status or if they pose security risks.

"The federal government reaffirmed that refugees go through the highest level of security screening of any category of traveler to the United States," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, said in a statement. He added that the State Department prioritizes the most vulnerable groups of people and that half of all Syrian refugees are children.

But Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said there are legitimate questions about the screening process that remain unanswered.

"Arizona is entitled to a formal consultation under federal law, and this conference call did not meet that requirement," spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said.

More than half of governors, almost entirely Republicans, have raised concerns with refugee resettlement efforts in recent days. They want temporary delays while seeking more information about security checks or they are fighting outright any refugee resettlement in their states.

The federal government controls resettlement programs, however, and state authorities have no authority to bar refugees from moving to their jurisdictions.