Some Republicans push back on refugee criticism

Some Republicans are pushing back against their party’s opposition to Syrian refugees resettling in the US — a rift that threatens to complicate the party’s outreach to minorities heading into the 2016 presidential vote.

These Republicans have joined Democrats, who liken the refugee backlash to the US government turning away Jews fleeing Nazi Germany and placing Japanese in internment camps during World War II.

While conservatives cite security concerns following the Paris attacks, others in the party fear the party’s position on refugees reeks of xenophobia. Alfonso Aguilar, a Republican who leads the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, says “a refugee is someone who has a credible fear that they’re going to be killed.”

Aguilar says moderate voters could view Republican opposition to helping refugees as extreme and intolerant and that could hurt Republican candidates in next fall’s general election.

— AP