Judge rejects Texas’ latest attempt to block Syrian refugees

Abbott was one of the first US governors to seek to block the resettlement of refugees from Syria. Unlike Turkey or Jordan, which also host huge numbers of Syrians, Lebanon has also refused to construct formal refugee camps, hampering efforts to properly house the new arrivals or provide them with humanitarian aid.

It said the family fled Syria three years ago and underwent two years of security checks before being allowed to enter the U.S.

“The IRC has been working here in Texas for the last 40 years and we have had a really strong relationship with all levels of the state and local government, so we are focused on our work and we are letting the lawsuit run its course”, she said. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, speak about the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the USA, during their joint news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015.

The archbishop said he was able to explain to him “the plight of this family” and the role of the archdiocese’s refugee services program in welcoming them to Indianapolis.

Even before Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump proposed blocking all Muslims from entering the US, there was plenty of grandstanding in the Lone Star State.

The organization that helped resettle the six Syrian refugees to Dallas says the vetting process for refugees to get in the country is intense and can take up to two years.

Dallas-based U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey on Wednesday rejected Paxton’s renewed request for a temporary restraining order barring nine Syrian refugees set to arrive in the state on Thursday.

Pence said Tuesday that he still supports a ban on Syrian refugees, but that he won’t try to deny Medicaid, food stamps or other social services to Syrians who arrive in Indiana.

Pence notes that Catholic Charities used private dollars to bring the Syrian family into the state.

The church said helping people escape violence is an “essential part of our identity as Catholic Christians and we will continue this life-saving tradition”.

Still, the state has backed away from seeking immediate court action to block refugees, and the judge in the case has said it could be weeks before the case is heard.

Despite sometimes heated rhetoric to the contrary, it’s generally agreed that states do not have the ability to prevent the federal government from resettling refugees within their borders.

The family flew to Austin, the state capital, on Saturday and then drove to Dallas so as to avoid the news media that had staked out the Dallas-Fort Worth International airport.

But the statements from McCaul, which were included in Paxton’s filing, were less definitive – indicating that terrorists had targeted the refugee program for attempted infiltration.

Carrigan declined to identify where the family was living due to safety concerns.

On Wednesday, the ACLU requested the court to order Pence to suspend his attempt at refusing resettlement in his state.

Anxious about the security screening of refugees, Gov.Greg Abbott joined more than two dozen mostly Republican governors who vowed to keep Syrian refugees from their states in the wake of the November terrorist attacks in Paris. Last Friday, the state withdrew the request for a TRO, which has a higher evidence bar, attorneys have said.