Historically, Americans resist refugees.

Since the Paris attacks, President Obama has run into opposition from governors — including Florida’s Rick Scott — and Congress over his plans for the U.S. to accept more Syrian refugees. The Paris terrorists were affiliated with ISIS, the group based in Syria and Iraq. In an email interview with political science Professor Aubrey Jewett of the University of Central Florida, we got some details on how the U.S. handles refugees and some historical perspective. The full transcript is at OrlandoSentinel.com/opinion.

Q: Is there any historical precedent for American resistance to other refugees? A: Yes. In fact, since the World War II era, Americans have almost always opposed efforts to increase the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. After the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, 62 percent disapproved of Southeast Asian refugees; 71 percent objected to Cubans during the 1980 Mariel Boatlift, and 77 percent to an influx of Haitians in 1994.

Q: Do governors have authority to control the flow of refugees to their states? A: The U.S. Constitution, federal law and U.S. Supreme Court decisions make it clear that immigration policy is exclusively a federal responsibility. Governors could discourage resettlement to their state by ordering state workers not to cooperate with resettlement efforts or to limit state-level refugee benefits or restrict federal refugee benefits disbursed by the state.

Q: How many refugees have been resettling in the United States in recent years? A: Since 2013, the U.S. has admitted the maximum 70,000 per year. The president’s proposal would raise the ceiling to 85,000 in 2016 and specifically allow up to 10,000 additional Syrians into the country.

Q: What costs are associated with resettling refugees in the U.S., and who is on the hook for them? A: One recent study estimated that the U.S. spends almost $13,000 per refugee per year to resettle refugees from the Middle East to the U.S. This includes money spent by federal agencies on resettlement costs and a much larger amount spent directly for social welfare and education benefits.

Q: How does the U.S. compare to other countries in our policy toward refugees? A: In terms of resettling refugees, the U.S. has been the most generous nation on earth, annually taking in one-half to two-thirds of all refugees referred for resettlement by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. However, that is a very small fraction of all refugees, since most refugees are never resettled and instead stay in camps set up in nations near their home country (the average length of stay in a refugee camp is 17 years).

Q: What do U.S. authorities normally do to make sure refugees do not pose a threat to public safety? A: There is an extensive multi-step review process that involves UN and U.S. agencies and takes on average 18 to 24 months. If there is any concern at any step that a potential refugee may pose a threat, they are not allowed into the U.S.

Q: How do the risks posed by refugees compare with the risks posed by visitors to the U.S.? A: It would be much easier and quicker for a terrorist to seek legal entry on a tourist, work, or student visa, to come from one of the 38 countries from which the U.S. does not require a visa, or just to sneak into the country illegally.