Idaho Governor Says Feds Should Halt Refugee Program

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has joined a growing number of Republican governors calling for the immediate halt of resettling new refugees until vetting rules can be reviewed and state concerns about the program can be addressed.

Otter's announcement on Monday came three days after terrorists attacked multiple sites in Paris, killing 129 and wounding hundreds more.

Otter stopped short of threatening to stop accepting Syrian refugees, like multiple other governors have done, and instead urged Congress to allow states to opt-out of the refugee placement program.

President Barack Obama's administration has pledged to accept about 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year. The U.S. State Department has said the refugees would be spread across the country.

The head of the U.S Committee for Refugees and Immigration says under the Refugee Act of 1980, governors cannot legally block refugees.