Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday that he is asking the federal government to “cease any additional settlements of refugees from Syria in Maryland” in the aftermath of last week’s terrorism attacks in Paris.

Hogan said in a statement posted on his Facebook page that he wanted the federal government to “provide appropriate assurances that refugees from Syria pose no threat to public safety.”

The extremist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks, which left 129 people dead. Authorities have said one of the perpetrators may have entered Europe on a Syrian passport as part of the wave of Middle Eastern migrants arriving in Greece.

U.S.-based refu­gee resettlement groups point out that Syrians brought to this country as refugees are subject to a rigorous screening process that can last up to two years, unlike migrants who have fled Syria and entered Europe.

On Monday, more than 20 Republican governors said they would try to close off their states to Syrian migrants, and leading GOP presidential candidates said the country should allow Christians, but not Muslims, to seek refuge in the United States.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), who is on an 11-day trade mission to India and the Middle East, has made no policy announcements related to Syrian refugees. The commonwealth accepted 25 refugees during fiscal 2015, which ended Oct. 1, said McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy. No refugees have arrived in Virginia since then.

“The governor will monitor the situation closely,” Coy said. “There’s nothing more important to him than...read more at The Washigton Post