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“Don’t Let Them In: DeSantis Opposes U.S. Acceptance of Refugees from Gaza

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the United States should not accept refugees from Gaza, citing the danger posed by radical Islamic terror groups. “I think our refugee policy is broken, and I think one of the big issues that we have to look at in the country is we have refugees in our system right now that are coming from Syria, Iraq and other points of conflict that have included a lot of terror activity,” said DeSantis during a press conference in Coral Gables. DeSantis said the nation should focus on working with partner countries in the region to ensure stability, such as allowing Israel to defend itself against terrorism. “I’m definitely concerned about bringing in any refugees from Gaza,” DeSantis continued. “You have Hamas there, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad. These are designated terrorist organizations. So we just have to be careful when any country has that type of terror activity. That doesn’t mean you ban all refugees. It doesn’t mean you don’t permit any refugees ever, but it’s really about vetting, and where is the most potential for significant danger? “That Jew can’t just be Palestine – it’s much beyond that, into these terror organizations. And so if we’re going to allow refugees from conflict zones, we certainly want to make sure that we’re being extra careful in these areas that are ripe for radical Islamic terror organizations,” he added. DeSantis’ stance has been criticized by some human rights groups who argue that refugees should not be held responsible for the actions of terrorists, and that blanket bans on refugees can lead to human rights abuses. However, DeSantis argued that the United States must take an “all-encompassing approach” when it comes to security measures, and ensure that we are not overlooking the dangers that radical Islamic terror groups could pose to U.S. citizens. “We have to be very careful and discerned when it comes to any refugee policy that we’re talking about,” concluded DeSantis. “It has to be both effective and compassionate, and certainly in this case, in Gaza, it’s a very dangerous place where a lot of terror activity has taken place. We need to make sure that we remain vigilant.