Obama warns governors they cannot refuse Syrian refugees as figures reveal US has let in more migrants from Muslim countries than entire population of Washington DC

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The Obama administration has told governors they do not have the legal authority to refuse to accept Syrian refugees as it was revealed that 680,000 immigrants from Muslim countries have come to the U.S. in the last five years.

The figure is higher than the entire population of Washington, DC, and will repeat itself in the next five years unless immigration policies are changed, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The official figures were released as the Office of Refugee Resettlement told resettlement officials that states cannot deny benefits and services to refugees based on their nationality or religion, meaning Syrians cannot be discriminated against.

States that do not comply with the requirement would be breaking the law and could be subject to enforcement action, including suspension or termination of the federally funded program, according to the letter. 

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The Obama administration has told officials across the country that states do not have the legal authority to refuse to accept Syrian refugees. Pictured, refugees arrive on Lesbos on Wednesday

The letter, signed by the director of the federal resettlement office, Robert Carey, came after more than two dozen governors, mostly Republicans, vowed to block efforts to resettle Syrian refugees in their states following the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris. 

The governors said they fear that militants planning a terror attack could enter the country under the guise of seeking refuge from war-torn Syria. 

In the House, lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to erect higher hurdles for Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

The White House counters that the vetting process is thorough and can take up to two years. President Obama has said the U.S. will remain a welcoming place for refugees from around the world.

The letter from the federal resettlement office said would-be refugees 'are subject to the highest level of security checks of any category of traveler to the United States'. 

The screening process is 'multi-layered and intensive' and involves multiple law enforcement, national security and intelligence agencies across the federal government, the letter said.

President Obama has said the U.S. will remain a welcoming place for refugees from around the world

A spokesman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees refugee resettlement in the state, said the letter will not change the state's position of blocking Syrian refugees.

The commission will continue to follow the directive of Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who has called for Texas to turn away Syrian refugees, said Bryan Black, a spokesman for the Texas commission. A spokesman for Abbott declined to comment.

Abbott has previously cited a specific part of the law that he says gives him authority to block Syrians, but experts largely have disagreed.

Roughly 2,200 Syrian refugees have been allowed in over the last four years. Obama has outlined a goal of bringing 10,000 more Syrian refugees to the U.S. during the current budget year.

The House bill would add a requirement for the Homeland Security secretary, along with the head of the FBI and the director of national intelligence, to certify that each refugee being admitted poses no security threat.