Gov. Chris Christie ordered state agencies to not help resettle any Syrian refugees in the wake of last week's Paris attacks and urged President Barack Obama to halt the influx of all Syrian refugees immediately.

In a letter to Obama on Tuesday, the Republican presidential contender said he doesn't believe that background checks are stringent enough to distinguish between those fleeing the war-torn country and potential terrorists...

...Democratic U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker both support accepting Syrian refugees, noting the security scrutiny they go through before arriving.

"It belies who we are as a nation to turn them away," Booker told reporters Tuesday. "It's an insult to our history. It's unacceptable to me. ... I will fight anyone who wants to shut down this nation's open arms."

New Jersey has accepted 75 Syrian refugees so far this year, according to data from the Refugee Processing Center.

Menendez said the country must ensure rigorous screening procedures are in place, but "we also have a responsibility to fulfill our commitment to this international crisis, and simply closing the door to America and turning our backs on the children, women and families fleeing the atrocities in their homeland is not the answer to defeating terrorism."

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