In light of last weekend’s horrific terrorist attacks across Europe, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) has called on Gov. Cuomo to increase New York’s screening process for allowing Syrian refugees into the state. Hawley expressed the urgency of this matter as authorities are investigating a Syrian Passport found near one of the French bombing sites after the weekend’s terrorist attacks. Twenty-five governors across the country have vowed to block Syrian refugees from entering their states as of this morning.

“This is a matter of New York State security,” Hawley said. “I am concerned that Syrian refugees sympathetic to the terrorist attacks already could be living among us, and we have a duty to protect our citizens from future threats. New York’s highly populated cities are easy targets for terrorists who are now more frequently attacking innocent civilians. The groundswell of support for this measure is growing by the hour, and 25 governors, including several moderate presidential candidates, already have pledged to close their borders until security is increased. I am officially calling on Gov. Cuomo to close our borders to Syrian refugees until we can properly ascertain threats inside our state and the remaining attackers have been apprehended.”