Catholic Charities: No immediate plans to settle Syrian refugees on LI

Catholic Charities on Long Island does not have immediate plans to receive refugees from Syria, but that may happen at a future date, agency officials said Wednesday.

The group, underscoring one of its missions, said, "We are here to bring compassion to victims who are fleeing from precisely the same violence we saw perpetrated in France."

The prospect of any Syrian refugees being settled here, however, provoked opposition from some officials in Amityville, where Catholic Charities Immigrant Services' headquarters is based.

Village trustee Nick LaLota said he worries about terrorists sneaking in.

"We fear a 'Trojan horse' scenario where one terrorist individual could disguise himself amongst many good, innocent people, and that's the risk we're not willing to take," LaLota said.

Catholic Charities, which is part of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said a lot of "misinformation" has been circulating about the refugee process.

In a statement issued by spokesman Umberto Mignardi, the agency noted that it does not have any decision-making power over who comes to the United States. "That authority belongs solely to the federal government," the statement said.

The group said it "may be called upon to assist families who have met the federal criteria of refugee status. At this juncture, Long Island is not slated to receive any Syrian refugees."

If any do come here, it likely would be fewer than 15 families, and they would not arrive until 2016 at the earliest, the agency said.

That is because of a government vetting process that is "a lengthy and thorough one which includes interviews, at least 15 different background checks and sponsorship by family members who already live here," the group said.

"In fact, many people agree that this refugee process is the most secure way to allow entry into the United States," the statement said. "Catholic Charities' role is to serve as the ministry on the ground that prepares refugee families and assists the communities that receive them."

But, LaLota said, "Until such time where federal officials can prove that their vetting process takes into account thoroughly our local residents' safety, we remain skeptical."

He added that village officials "share in Catholic Charities' compassion toward these individuals, and that's why we are promoting a charity drive to send money to Syrian refugees overseas."

Amityville Mayor James Wandell also has expressed opposition to resettling Syrian refugees in the area.

"Though we are empathetic to innocents who seek to escape from the hardships of war, we urge you to keep that war away from communities like ours," Wandell and other Amityville officials wrote in a letter dated Nov. 16 and sent to the U.S. State Department.