One after another, a chain of Republican governors from the Deep South to New England rolled out statements or held press conferences last week announcing their opposition to the White House's plan to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the U.S. over the next year.
And Gov. Nathan Deal's office was besieged on Nov. 16 with messages and phone calls - from allies, voters and lawmakers - after the Paris attacks largely asking the same question: Why hadn't he followed suit?
The governor would eventually issue a directive ordering state employees not to help resettle any Syrian refugees and pen a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to reconsider his policy. You can click here for a broader story about the state's approach to a debate that has raged ever since.
But in those early hours, Deal’s stance was very much unknown.
"I have assured my constituents that your interests are to protect Georgia and that I am contacting you to let their, and my, views be known," wrote state Rep. Jeff Jones.
"Any action on this from Gov. Deal?" state Rep. Tom Rice emailed an aide to the governor. "We should know if he plans to do as other governors have done."
"The safety and security of our citizens take priority over helping distressed people from war-torn nations," came the letter from state Rep. Buzz Brockway.
Those were just from the legislative branch.
A records request showed that more than 1,000 messages came tumbling in from voters like Richard Johnson, who wrote that "what has happened in France is destined to happen here in the U.S." A staffer for U.S. Sen. David Perdue said her office was "getting an influx of questions" and wanted to know if Deal was planning to echo the other governors.
Meanwhile, the records show an aide cobbled together a list of how other states were responding to the debate as they awaited a decision. Deal was out of the office most of that day on a swing through south Georgia that included a stop to "rededicate" Jekyll Island.
Just before 4 p.m., Deal's administration let it be known that he would oppose the federal efforts to relocate Syrian refugees in Georgia, joining more than a dozen other Republican governors who had issued similar proclamations.
The response from the governor's GOP allies?
"We are getting inundated," wrote state Sen. Mike Dugan, "and I think this will settle it down significantly."
Read more about Georgia's response to the Syrian refugee debate by clicking here.
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