De Blasio defends U.S. plan to admit Syrian refugees, blasts Christie and Trump

As numerous Republican governors and presidential candidates said they want to keep Syrian refugees out of their states in light of the Paris terror attacks, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement Tuesday that he believes the country can protect itself while sheltering the persecuted.

De Blasio singled out for criticism comments by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and billionaire Donald Trump.

"We should not close our borders to any group of people fleeing the atrocities and horrors of terrorism," de Blasio, a Democrat, said in a statement. "To do so is to hand terrorists a victory over our democracy, strengthened over the years by Americans who died or risked their lives for it."

De Blasio said the United States as a "strong country" can use "appropriate and intensive screening" against threats without turning away refugees. "New York City is a proud immigrant city," he said, "and we will not turn our back on that history or the people being persecuted and fleeing war."

Christie, a candidate for president, said Monday on Hugh Hewitt's nationally syndicated radio show that he would reject even the small children as a precaution.

"The fact is that we need appropriate vetting, and I don't think orphans under 5 are being, you know, should be admitted into the United States at this point," Christie said.

De Blasio's statement said: "Because Chris Christie is an elected official, his comment is an embarrassment to this country. If he were in any other profession, it would be dismissed out of hand for the callous, heartless and prejudiced statement that it is."

Trump, who opposes admitting refugees, also said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Monday that mosques should be carefully watched and possibly shut down.

"It's something that you're going to have to strongly consider because some of the ideas and some of the hatred -- the absolute hatred -- is coming from these areas," the billionaire businessman said.

De Blasio pointed to the Constitution's bar of discrimination against religions.

"We will adhere to the words of our Founding Fathers, not Donald Trump," he said. "Mosques don't commit acts of terrorism. People do. NYPD will investigate the crime, not close down places of worship."

Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks and Christie campaign spokeswoman Samantha Smith did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.