Syrian refugees expect to arrive in North Texas

The federal government has given Texas more information about the Syrian refugees, and now the state has dropped attempts to get a temporary restraining order to keep the refugees out. He remains insistent that a judge order the federal government to consult with state authorities on future resettlements. The implicit claim was the organization wasn’t providing enough information to the state.

Paxton, however, isn’t entirely dropping the lawsuit. Professor Geoffrey Hoffman, director of the immigration clinic at the University of Houston, said “the state’s attempt to prevent or block Syrian refugees could reasonably be interpreted as an attempt to interfere with the federal executive power to regulate and enforce immigration”. The state “made no showing that these refugees pose any threat, much less an imminent one” to Americans, the Obama administration wrote.

Six Syrian refugees were expected to resettle in Texas on Friday.

As for the third family and the single woman, the federal government told the judge that there is “no reason to believe that these nine refugees have received material-support waivers”.

On Friday, Abbott’s office said the governor stands by earlier statements that it would be irresponsible to accept Syrian refugees. Within a few days, governors in 30 other states made similar declarations. Federal courts – including the U.S. Supreme Court – have long ruled that immigration and the admission of noncitizens is a federal responsibility.

Although the Paris attacks prompted Texas’ hardline stance against Syrian refugees, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also invoked the mass shootings in Southern California this week that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now investigating as an act of terrorism.

November 17: Abbott directs the state Health and Human Services Commission and Department of Public Safety to implement his directive and notify nonprofit resettlement agencies.

A total of 21 Syrian refugees, most of whom are 13 years old or younger, are scheduled to resettle next week in the cities of Dallas and Houston. Since the Syrian civil war started in 2011, the Lone Star state has taken in around 180 Syrian refugees.