Discovery of a fresh terror plot, and a protracted gun battle to stop the attacks, kept France on edge, as Parliament debated an extension of the state’s emergency powers and discussed the possibility of a constitutional amendment to empower the president to suspend civil liberties in times of crisis. But it was another move on Francois Hollande’s part that might have the biggest immediate effect on the political fallout of the ISIS attacks in the U.S. The French president announced that his country would take in 30,000 Syrian refugees, on the eve of a House GOP hearing on a measure to require that the national intelligence director and the heads of the FBI and the Homeland Security Dept. confirm that every applicant from Syria and Iraq poses no security threat (Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting refugees not just from Syria, but Iraq, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen as well).

The White House issued a statement describing the “rigorous and thorough” screening process any refugee undergoes before entering the U.S., and pledged to veto the House bill should it reach him. The administration also publicized support for its resettlement plans from a wide array of humanitarian, faith, labor, civil and human rights organizations, including a number of USP grantees. https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/sign-on_letter_protecting_refugees_-_november_17_2015.pdf.

Advocates continued to step up. Leaders of the MASA community planned to pack the House hearing room Thursday morning, along with others not traditionally active on these issues, including MoveOn.org and United We Dream. And Muslim Advocates led a coalition of 28 civil rights and faith leaders in decrying the hostile rhetoric aimed at Muslims in the aftermath of the latest attacks, again featuring a broad swath of organizations supported by USP. https://www.muslimadvocates.org/letter-an-open-call-for-unity-following-paris-tragedy/. A number of op-eds and blog posts framing the debate over Syrian refugees as a fundamental test of American values were published on grantee sites as wellas in the mainstream media. Among the better examples: Ryan Crocker’s piece in the Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-case-for-accepting-syrian-refugees-1447803302, and a CAP post widely circulated among networks http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/es.aspx?s=785&e=917521&elq=7439124f79554f449f861f25e97f3234&elqaid=28192&elqat=1&elqTrackId=29938bde7ef4498484f92f21a4f69a2b.

Media Matters arranged a conference call Friday to frame messaging and organize communications efforts against anti-Muslim hate speech and critics of the refugee program.  The group’s compilation of Bush administration officials addressing anti-Muslim sentiment, and how it undermined the battle against extremism in their view, also gained new currency. http://mediamatters.org/research/2010/08/16/experts-say-anti-muslim-rhetoric-undermines-str/169251

America’s Voice kept a running tally of world leaders, elected U.S. officials, religious leaders and security experts condemning fear-mongering and praising the American value of welcoming refugees. Among them: Sen. John McCain, former Secretaries of State Condi Rice and Madeleine Albright, and key evangelical leaders.  http://americasvoice.org/press_releases/elected-officials-religious-leaders-security-experts-across-the-united-states-speak-out-for-syrian-refugees/. Frank Sharry’s group also sought to frame the debate in human terms, sharing stories of individual children and families driven from their homes by civil war and in search of a better life in America. http://americasvoice.org/press_releases/bringing-into-focus-the-human-lives-behind-the-refugee-debate/

CIA Director Brennan stepped up his attacks on the post-Snowden reform movement, targeting the leaker personally. http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/cia-chief-lashes-out-at-edward-snowden-after-paris-attacks/. A number of critics of the government’s efforts wrote pieces casting doubts on the intelligence community’s claims that expanded surveillance powers had helped break up terror plots in the past. Among the most widely circulated was this influential NYT editorial: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/opinion/mass-surveillance-isnt-the-answer-to-fighting-terrorism.html?_r=1