ATLANTA — Governor Nathan Deal is refusing to back down against federal demands that the state government accept and accommodate more Syrian refugees.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution (from Z-Politics), Georgia is prepared to defend against a legal battle with the White House if need be.

Said the Governor:

“This is a matter that needs to be clarified. When you have a majority of the American public having grave concerns about a specific group of refugees, the federal government owes it to the people of the country and the people of Georgia to give us more assurances than they have given us to this point.”

He added:

“When they don’t tell you who they are sending, they don’t tell you where they are sending them, and they don’t tell you where they are, it’s more difficult for the state to be prepared. They expect the states to simply close their eyes and pretend there’s no problem. I’m not satisfied with that.”

The numbers are behind Deal on this one. Before Thanksgiving, a poll found that nearly 6 in 10 Georgians support the Governor’s effort.

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