A Syrian refugee carries his daughter the Canadian processing centre for Syrian refugees in Jordan

DEARBORN — When Gov. Rick Snyder announced a pause in efforts to bring in new Syrian refugees to Michigan after the terrorist attacks in Paris, major Arab, Muslim, immigration advocacy and civil rights organization criticized him. 

But days after the governor’s decision, the Michigan Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs (CMEAA) published a statement in support of the step.

Snyder’s resolution was followed by more than 30 Republican governors who announced similar measures. But the governor has distanced himself from fellow Republican leaders who oppose accepting Syrians fleeing the war outright.

Critics still say Snyder is adopting a bigoted policy by considering refugees, who go through a lengthy screening process, a threat to security.

“Governor Snyder has paused the noble efforts Michigan is undertaking to welcome new refugees pending the complete and full review of security clearances and procedures by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of State,” CMEAA said in a statement on Nov. 17.

“We support the Governor’s step that is designed to ensure the safety and security of all Michiganders.”

The statement was not sent to media outlets, but it remains on the state’s website.

Angered voices

Snyder

Activists slammed the commission, saying that it failed to represent the views of Arab Americans who were disappointed by Snyder’s measure. 

According to the executive order that created CMEAA, the “council will advise the (civil rights) department on issues relating to the Arab and Chaldean communities in Michigan as well as promote awareness of their culture and history.”

The 15-member commission includes prominent community leaders, elected officials and businesspeople. 

Veteran activist Ron Amen said he was angered by the statement.

Amen said he contacted the governor’s office to find out how the statement was drafted, but he has not received a response.

Amen added that he spoke to a few members of the commission, who said they do not support Snyder’s pause on refugee resettlement.

“I am not sure how the governor uses this commission as a reference, getting full approval from Arab Americans at the state,” he added. 

Amen said the commission must be “absolutely transparent” and consult people in the community about major decisions.

“If I find out people in the community are in support of the governor’s about-face decision, I would ask for their removal, and some of them are my actual blood relatives,” Amen added. 

He said rejecting refugees is a manifestation of anti-Muslim bigotry.

Rasha Almulaiki, a co-founder of feminist group the ZCollective, described CMEAA’s stand as a fear-driven reaction to prove patriotism at the expense of justice. 

“It’s shameful to see our community kowtow so easily,” she told The Arab American News. “If there were any dissenting voices from the commission, they were clearly overwhelmed by the majority who aim to redeem the reputation of Middle Easterners in the face of media vilification and Gov. Snyder’s hastily assembled assumptions.”

Lina Harajli, ACCESS’s chief operating officer, a member of CMEAA, said she does not agree with Snyder’s pause. 

“I have been clear that I stand behind the ACCESS statement on this issue,” Harajli said. “I made my stance clear to commission members and the governor’s office.”

ACCESS, which provides services to newcomers, said it was “disappointed” in Snyder’s decision.

“The Governor’s remarks are hasty in the absence of a conclusion to any investigation into the attacks on Paris, especially considering the robust and lengthy screening procedures for Syrian refugees already in place by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” the organization said in a statement on Nov. 15. 

Despite differences on the statement, Harajli said she wants the commission to stick together and move forward to be a voice for the community in Lansing.

Commissioner Mariam Bazzi, a Dearborn school board trustee, said she did not take part in the wording of the commission’s statement.

“I was unable to give my opinion on it because of the way the timing worked out. When they called me, I was in court,” Bazzi, a prosecutor, said. 

The Dearborn schools trustee said the focus of the governor’s decision was to request clarifications on the vetting process, not to reject refugees.

“I believe that we should always continue to make sure that people are properly vetted,” she said. “I don’t know if the timing was the best timing.”

Bazzi added that if she had a chance to weigh in on the commission’s statement, she would have conveyed that the local Arab American community is against the governor’s step.

“I understand how this community feels. When I’m on he board, I’m representing this community; I am not just representing Mariam Bazzi,” she said.

Bazzi emphasized the importance of looking to the future and preserving the unity of the commission and the community.

“We need to be moving forward as a unified community,” she said. “It’s not a time to be divisive and to point fingers, and it’s not my intention to do that.”

Dearborn Heights Councilman Dave Abdallah said he was consulted about the statement in a phone call. 

Abdallah said he agreed to the statement to address concerns about background checks for newcomers, but he has a different opinion today.

“The point was to make sure that they do the right type of vetting before they let anybody into the country,” Abdallah said. “The governor had just put out his statement. With more information available, now we know it’s a 12 to 24-month thorough process.”

Saab

“A story that doesn’t exist”

Manal Saab, the chairwoman of the commission, said the statement was drafted by members of the commission. 

“Each one of us contributed to it. We start with the draft and email it to everyone, and each one sends in their edits,” she said.

According to Saab, only Harajli, of ACCESS, was not in support of the statement. 

Saab said the media misportrayed Snyder’s decision on refugees.

“They take information out; they take statements out; they’re telling a story that doesn’t even exist,” Saab added.

The chairwoman said the governor did not pause the resettlement of refugees, but is rather halting efforts to bring in additional newcomers to the ones that the state will host.

She said Michigan will welcome hundreds of Syrian refugees from the 10,000 that the White House announced the United States will accept next year.

“Those are already in the pipelines; they’re coming,” she said. “Governors have no say in who comes in to their states. It is strictly a federal decision, and nobody can stop a family from moving to a state.”

Saab said the governor was in negotiations with the federal officials to bring in a greater number of refugees than the White House allocated for Michigan. 

The pause will only affect the policy to bring in more refugees, not newcomers who are already processed, she added.

According to Saab, the governor did not consult the CMEAA before announcing the pause because the commission was newly formed.

Saab lauded Snyder’s Detroit Free Press editorial, where he said he advocated for immigration and diversity.

“The governor is getting a lot of backlash from the Trump-like people,” she said. “He is pro-immigrants. He has a refugee task force in his office that has been meeting everyday. As far as his intentions, nothing has changed.”

The chairwoman said rising above differences is key to the commission’s success.

“Our people are very divided,” she said. “I put a lot of efforts on uniting the people in the room and telling them to focus on our people, not their respective organizations.”