White House promises governors more transparency on Syrian refugees

WASHINGTON — The White House promised the nation's governors Monday that it will provide them better information on Syrian refugees being resettled in their states, but said its policy on accepting those refugees remains unchanged.

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said the State Department would provide governors with reports on the total number of refugees — but not their names — broken down by nationality, age range and gender. "This proposal responds to Governors' input while protecting the privacy of refugee families," McDonough wrote. Much of that information is already publicly released, but the administration is promising to make it available in a more routine, customized format on a password-protected website.

But the White House isn't budging on the underlying policy, in which it will seek to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States in fiscal year 2016.

"We continue to believe the security vetting for this population is extraordinarily thorough and comprehensive," McDonough told the governors. "It is the most robust screening process for any category of individuals seeking admission into the United States."

Instead, the White House is putting its energies behind an overhaul of the visa waiver program, which allows 20 million visitors a year from 38 countries to enter the United States for up to 90 days.

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At least 24 governors said they would refuse to cooperate with federal efforts to resettle refugees in their states after the terror attacks in Paris Nov. 13. Four days later, McDonough hosted a conference call with governors in an attempt to allay their concerns.

The White House response is unlikely to satisfy some harder-line Republican governors who want a moratorium on new Syrian refugees. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, for example, has directed state agencies not to assist with resettling Syrian refugees, a  move now being challenged in court by the American Civil Liberties Union.

A spokesman for Ohio Gov. John Kasich said his position remains unchanged, but that the information sharing is the least the White House should offer. "We are pleased to see the federal government finally beginning to understand that states like Ohio want more regular information about refugees being resettled in our state," said Kasich press secretary Joe Andrews. "Regular updates on those being placed in a state should not have to be something you must opt in to receive."

The National Governors Association, a bipartisan group that has been coordinating the consultations between governors and the White House, called it "a good starting point."

"I'm encouraged that the White House listened to governors, wanted to follow up directly, and worked to improve the process," said David Quam, the deputy director of the NGA. "There are follow-up questions that governors are going to have with regard to this information. The governors want some more certainty on timing, the kind of information they’re going to get and the amount of information."

Jessie Balmert contributed from Columbus, Ohio.