Alabama Sues Government To Keep Syrian Refugees Out

Jan 7 (Reuters) - Alabama officials sued the U.S. government on Thursday over concerns about the placement of refugees from Syria and other countries in the Southern state, its governor said.

The lawsuit filed in federal court for the Northern District of Alabama claims the Obama administration had not provided state officials with enough information about any refugees to be settled in the state.

Republican Governor Robert Bentley moved to bar Syrian refugees from the state after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris for which the group Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Bentley said the White House has not answered three of its letters seeking information about refugees placed in Alabama under the U.S. Refugee Act of 1980.

"The process and manner in which the Obama Administration and the federal government are executing the Refugee Reception Program is blatantly excluding the states," he said in a statement.

The lawsuit, which names the heads of multiple federal agencies, asks a court to find that the government must disclose information on each refugee, including medical history, and to certify that the individual does not pose a security risk. (Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida; editing by Richard Chang)

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