Maggie Hassan on Immigration

Temporarily halt acceptance of refugees from Syria

This should be a temporary measure. The federal government can and must work in a timely fashion to conduct a thorough re-evaluation of every step in the screening process.

When it comes to refugee resettlement, the federal government also needs to improve its coordination with local officials. As governor, I know firsthand that the federal government does not do enough to communicate with local public safety officials about who is being resettled, what their backgrounds are, and how they have been screened--and that needs to change.

Close borders for now; but welcome ISIS refugees later

We cannot demonize an entire people or forever close our borders. We must recognize that if we don't remain a welcoming, inclusive and diverse nation, then we will cease to be America. It's in the interests of our nation--both based on our values and our national security--to aid the vulnerable people, including women and children, who are fleeing from the atrocities and terror of ISIS.

After we re-evaluate and strengthen our security measures, we must engage in the process of addressing this humanitarian crisis.

Halt acceptance of Syrian refugees until fully vetted

Ensure robust screening before we admit refugees from Syria

"[The governor] has always made clear that we must ensure robust refugee screening to protect American citizens, and believes that we must know more of the facts about those who carried out the Paris terrorist attacks and have strong assurances of safety from our intelligence officials before we admit refugees from Syria into the United States."