The terrorist attacks in Paris have trained a spotlight on Syrian refugees.

Some two dozen governors - including Georgia’s Nathan Deal - have said they no longer want refugees from the war-torn country arriving in their states. Their opposition is largely symbolic as the resettlement program is run by the federal government.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution profiled one of those refugees, now living with his family in Georgia after fleeing violence in Syria.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez