Last month, in the wake of the Paris attacks, County Legislator Joe Lorigo jockeyed to be the local leader of a growing wave of paranoia directed at Muslim refugees fleeing war and oppression in North Africa and the Middle East, especially from Syria. The result of Lorigo’s efforts: a public information session in the Erie County Legislature on Friday, December 17 at 10:30am. Lorigo had angled for something grander—an opportunity for his supporters to wax jingoist on the floor of the Legislature—but he could not muster the votes within the caucus he leads for a full-fledged public hearing.

But Lorigo’s supporters have found other ways to declare their suspicion that Erie County is opening its arms to terrorists. Check out this resolution passed on November 18 by the town board of Elma, which is part of Lorigo’s legislative district:

Note especially the sixth “Whereas”: “Nothing in this resolution is intended to prevent any private citizen, Church, Missionary Organization, or other Ministry, from ministering to the needs of Christians who are displaced or persecuted in North Africa and the Middle East, provided it is financed with private voluntary donations.”

Only Christians? How exactly will they prove their faith? Can Muslims refugees convert on the spot or must they undergo a two-year screening process similar to the one that bestowed them with refugee status?

And if the Erie County executive, the governor of New York State, and the president of the United States abide by the wishes of the town board of Elma and “suspend the proposed resettlement of refugees in Erie County,” how will these private relief efforts offer succor to these putative displaced Christians? Will they dispatch relief caravans to refugee camps on the border between Erie and Genesee counties?

The language of the Elma town board’s resolution  seems to be cut and pasted from similar resolutions pushed by tea party groups in other parts of the country. We’re trying ascertain the original scripters.