Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday called on the federal government to suspend resettlement of Syrian refugees until a full review of security can be completed following the deadly terror attacks in Paris.
"Let's slow down. Let's take our time. Let's find out what happened in Paris. Let's find out how good our security is. Let's find out our vetting versus the French vetting. Let's see what happened before we rush into allowing 10,000 more Syrians into our country," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box."
He was referring to the State Department's plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees next year.
Scott is one of about two dozen Republican governors opposing resettlement of Syrian refugees to their states following Friday's suicide attacks in Paris, for which the militant Islamist group ISIS claimed responsibility. One Democrat, Gov. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, has joined the movement.
Just over 2,100 Syrian refugees have been settled in the United States since 2012, according to the State Department. The issue is in sharp focus after it was revealed that two suspected Paris attackers may have entered Europe through Greece.
"We know one of the terrorists posed as a Syrian refugee," Scott said.
Authorities have said one of the suicide bombers, Ahmad al Mohammad, carried a Syrian passport, marked with his fingerprints, suggesting he landed in Greece last month, according to NBC News. French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira told NBC News she doubted the authenticity of the passport, found at the Stade de France where the attacker blew himself up.
States do not have the authority to refuse entry to migrants because the resettlement plan is federally funded. Scott sent a letter on Monday to congressional leaders to ask them to cut off funding for the program.
Scott said Florida welcomes immigrants, but he did not have enough information to feel confident in participating in the White House's resettlement plan.
"First off, the federal government, they don't tell me what they're doing. They have not been a good partner," he said. "They're not telling me the vetting process."
Scott also said President Barack Obama had not prioritized destroying ISIS.
The White House has vowed to step up its support of French airstrikes in Syria. France has intensified its campaign against ISIS in recent days, and the United States has targeted the group's oil operations, a critical source of funding.
Obama on Monday criticized Republicans who suggested only Christian refugees should receive U.S. assistance and called the notion of a religious test for migrants "shameful" and " not American." The idea was raised by GOP presidential hopeful Jeb. Bush.