Texas sues to block resettlement of Syrian refugees

After the state of Texas on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the federal government and aid organization International Rescue Committee (IRC), claiming that both failed to properly consult with the state about the arrival of Syrian refugees, the IRC issued a statement noting that the group has consulted with Texas for years. “Plaintiff possesses reasonable concerns about the safety and security of the citizenry of the State of Texas regarding these refugees that may seek resettlement within the State of Texas”.

A Texas agency has sued the US State Department and Secretary of State John Kerry, among others, seeking to prevent refugees from being resettled in the state.

Multiple federal government security agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation participate in the screening process of refugees, which can take 18-24 months, according to the State Department.

“In addition to Texas undertaking more than its share in the task of resettling refugees than any other State, Texas has the sovereign authority and duty to protect the safety of its residents”, it added, noting that Texas accepts roughly 10 percent of all refugees headed to the United States.

On 2 December, 2015, Indiana’s Governor said that he had asked a Roman Catholic Archdiocese to not bring a Syrian refugee family to the state.

The state’s Republican Governor Mike Pence said that, in the wake of the attacks in Paris, he could not justify making an exception for the family.

They are being helped by the Dallas branch of the New York-based International Rescue Committee (IRC), but Texas officials sent letters to IRC asking them to halt their assistance to the refugees.

The answer to that isn’t clear as yesterday indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit in federal court in Dallas, the Texas Tribune reports. Refugees are victims of terror, not terrorists, and the families we help have always been welcomed by the people of Texas. Texas is now leading a lawsuit against the White House on behalf of 26 states in Texas v. U.S.

Plans have been in place for six Syrian refugees to be resettled in Dallas this week. The Justice Department said that it would review the complaint after formally receiving it. According to the Obama administration’s legal reasoning, refugee resettlement is a federal matter, and states would violate the Civil Rights Act by denying the migrants service.

Federal courts – including the U.S. Supreme Court – have upheld that immigration and admission of noncitizens to the United States is a federal responsibility and one managed wholly by the federal government.