Sheriff urges halt to resettlement program

SANDPOINT — Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler is joining Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter in calling for Idaho to halt its resettlement program for refugees of the conflict raging in Syria.

In a letter to Otter, Wheeler said he swore under oath to uphold the U.S. and state constitutions and is charged with keeping the community safe.

“When I see a potential threat to this community, I am obligated to do everything in my power to expose that threat. The resettlement of Syrian refugees is a plausible threat and must be prevented,” Wheeler said in the letter.

Wheeler cites remarks by FBI Director James Comey in February that terrorists under the sway of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq have infiltrated every state in the nation and are using social media as a recruiting tool.

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