In the wake of Friday’s terrorist attack in Paris, national Republican leaders have begun calling for tightening U.S. borders against Syrian refugees or shutting them altogether. A top Tennessee state lawmaker upped the rhetoric Wednesday, calling for refugees already in the state to be expelled from his state.
“We need to activate the Tennessee National Guard and stop them from coming in to the state by whatever means we can,” House GOP Caucus Chairman Glen Casada said about the state’s refugees, The Tennessean reports. “We need to gather (Syrian refugees) up and politely take them back to the ICE center [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and say, ‘They’re not coming to Tennessee, they’re yours.'”
Read More: Governors Vow to Block Syrian Refugees After Paris Attacks
The U.S. has resettled about 1,800 refugees from Syria so far in 2015, according to statistics compiled by the State Department, and the White House pledged to admit at least 10,000 more over the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.
Fears over refugees were stoked by implications that one of the Paris attackers may have crossed into Europe with Syrian migrants. This has not been confirmed, but it has turned into a political wedge issue in the United States, with GOP candidates staking out positions against the entry of more refugees and President Obama attacking them for doing so.
Read Next: See All the States Where Governors Oppose Syrian Refugees
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
- Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
- The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Tessa Berenson at tessa.Rogers@time.com