As concerns mount among European security officials that one of the terrorists had been posing as a Syrian refu­gee, Snyder’s move captured the rising political pressure governors face in the wake of the attacks. But it also startled Arab Americans nationwide, particularly in communities such as Detroit, where the new flow of refugees had been welcomed for its potential to boost local economic fortunes.

“It appears Governor Snyder gave in to the xenophobic trend that has gripped the Republican Party and its presidential candidates,” said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“Xenophobia trumps logic when you have a climate that plays to the worst fears of the people,” Walid said, adding that the years-long “killing spree” waged by Islamic State militants “has been primarily killing Muslims.”