Sanford supports suspension of federal plan to accept Syrian refugee

U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford wants to suspend federal plans to admit Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the wake of the attacks in Paris last week.

Sanford's announcement Wednesday comes on the heels of a slew of lawmakers and governors, including South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who have announced they oppose accepting Syrian refugees amid fears that Islamic State terrorists could use the program to sneak into the country.

"I think we need to press the pause button on the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the United States until we can put the necessary measures and protocols in place to vet them," Sanford said in a news release. "This is not an irreversible course but a prudent step, given the plausibility of ISIS members infiltrating refugee populations as a way to come into America."

Sanford is now co-sponsoring two bills designed to better vet refugees, including a bill proposed Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, that would require individual certification of each refugee's background check.

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This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Sanford supports suspension of federal plan to accept Syrian refugee ."