WATERFORD TOWNSHIP — While those closely involved in the vetting process attest to its meticulousness, worries persist among local officials about the possibility of a Syrian wishing to inflict harm on American soil by slipping through the cracks of the procedure.

That is why Waterford Township Board of Trustees passed a 7-0 vote at their Tuesday meeting on a resolution to keep Syrian refugees out of the town, until the federal government can tighten its reins on the vetting process.

Although municipalities have no jurisdiction over immigration and cannot legally control who lives within their borders, Township officials defended the resolution. 

Waterford Township Supervisor Gary Wall said the decision to exclude Syrian refugees was not prejudiced, but was based on information from U.S. Rep. David Trott (R-Birmingham), who spoke to the board on Oct. 11.

“They don’t think the vetting process is good,” Wall told The AANews. “And until it is, we need to err on the side of caution.” 

He added that of the 29 community members who spoke at the meeting, 16 supported the resolution.

In a video of the meeting, Trott said he was present when FBI Director James Comey testified before the House Judiciary Committee that intelligence from Syria was weak and “our vetting process is only as good as the information we have.”

Wall, who described liberals as “tree huggers,” echoed that sentiment. 

“The fact is that a lot of them left home with nothing but the clothes on their backs, they have no identification, they have no certificates of birth, they have nothing,” he said.

Trott said he wishes to see the Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act pass. It would give local communities the ability to refuse refugee settlement and give Congress the ability to set the number of refugees and establish process and admission requirements.

He further explained that with the plummeting deficit and many problems that Americans face, like decaying infrastructure and education, it would not be economically feasible to support services for refugees.

Anthony Bartolotta, a Waterford board trustee, said his vote for the resolution stems from feedback from the Oakland County Homeland Security Division which he said, “know what they’re talking about.”

He added he wants the federal government to ensure refugees are healthy, not carrying tuberculosis or other diseases into the county.

However, the refugee vetting process includes extensive health screening.

Township Trustee Karen Joliat said the board’s resolution was not to enforce a local ordinance refusing refugee residents, but a statement to the FBI and DHS to create a proper vetting process.

“If we are going to let these people in, then have a long-term plan, for the US citizens’ sake and for their sake,” she said.

Joliat, who referred to Congressman Trot as a senator, described the government’s policy as “helter skelter.”

In a collaborative video with online media outlet ATTN:, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson explained the Syrian refugee vetting steps.

Johnson said those who argue that accepting Syrian refugees makes America less safe ignore the reality that anyone who seeks and is approved for refugee status in the U.S. “must then undergo a security screening process that is more thorough than any other for people entering this country.”

Johnson added that from start to finish, the process includes involvement of the National Counterterrorism Center, FBI, DHS, Department of State and Department of Defense.

Around the same time, a mailer was sent to Oakland County residents by former Republican Water Resources Commissioner John McCulloch, who is running against Democrat County Treasurer Andy Meisner. The letter quotes Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Sheriff Michael Bouchard, both Republicans, stating respectively that “Meisner is playing with nitroglycerin” and that the “vetting process for Syrian refuges is entirely insufficient.”

Bouchard is a Lebanese American.

Meisner told The AANews that for candidates to wage a political attack based on fear of refugees is “ridiculous” and “offensive to my values and my understanding of what America really stands for.”

He slammed both the mailer and Waterford’s resolution and said suggesting that law enforcement, national security and intelligence officers are incapable of doing their job is disrespectful. He added that such comments are even more inappropriate when considering the amount of scrutiny Syrian refugee undergo compared with those in the Visa Exchange Program.

He bashed the idea some hold that refugees would rely on food and shelter hand-outs.

“The notion that was expressed at the Waterford meeting was factually inaccurate in many regards,” Meisner said. “The only thing that is happening is assimilation.”

He added some of these refugees were engineers, doctors and entrepreneurs and individuals with skills who thrive in cities like West Bloomfield, Troy, Farmington Hills and Dearborn, among others.

“If I were re-elected, I would continue on the same course of being welcoming,” Meisner said. “I would take my cues about public safety from law enforcement, not from politicians popping off about something they have no control over.”