Governor Says He Welcomes Syrian Refugees

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee says that Washington state will welcome Syrian refugees if the federal government ultimately decides that the state will receive any of the 10,000 people that President Barack Obama's administration has pledged to resettle over the next year.

In a statement released Monday, Inslee criticized other governors who have threatened to stop accepting refugees following last week's attacks in Paris.

Inslee says that the state will "continue to be a state that welcomes those seeking refuge from persecution, regardless of where they come from or the religion they practice."

The Homeland Security Department says refugees face the highest level of security screening of anybody entering the U.S., but officials will work to allay states' concerns.