New York, SC consider registry of refugees
Lawmakers in New York state and South Carolina want to see a refugee registry established.
Bills are being proposed in both states to require an ongoing registry of refugees who enter the U.S., according to the Associated Press.
{mosads}Under the South Carolina proposal, sponsors would be held liable for Iranian, Sudanese and Syrian refugees who commit acts of terrorism.
State Sen. Kevin Bryant said the intent is to keep people safe. Nearly 850 refugees from Europe, Africa and the Middle East have arrived in South Carolina since 2010.
The spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations is predicting a legal challenge if the law passes, saying it singles out people by country of origin and seems discriminatory of Muslims.
The New York bill would require refugees to register with the state and be fingerprinted and monitored for a year or until they become permanent residents, whichever happens first.
“While the state may lack the ability to block refugees from coming here, we do have the authority and responsibility to begin tracking who these people are, where they are coming from and to monitor the situation for potential threats,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Terrence Murphy.
If passed, the two states would be the only with registration laws for refugees.
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