Q&A about Texas’ lawsuit over Syrian refugee resettlement

A refugee nonprofit says it will still resettle Syrians in Texas despite legal threats from the state.

Those nine federal contractors include the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the Episcopal Migration Ministries, the International Rescue Committee, Church World Service, World Relief, the Ethiopian Community Development Council, and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

“This letter should raise serious concerns for refugees now receiving assistance in Texas, and also for legislators – who should be asking what fiscal impact the Texas Health and Human Services Commission could be bringing down on the state through its increasingly contentious communications”, Moorhead said.

A recent NBC News/SurveyMonkey online poll found that 56 percent of Americans disapprove of Obama’s plan to accept more Syrian refugees while 41 percent approve of letting them resettle in the U.S.

This came to light last month when Louisiana officials learned that over a dozen Syrian refugees were relocated in the Pelican State – one in Baton Rouge and the rest in New Orleans – without alerting the state.

One family is expected to join relatives in Richardson within days.

HR 4038 would require a second layer of Federal Bureau of Investigation background screening for any resettled refugees from Iraq or Syria, and a certification for each refugee that the person does not pose a security threat.

“However, we have been unable to achieve cooperation with your agency”.

On Tuesday, Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger and 18 other national security experts and military leaders, sent a letter to members of Congress expressing their opposition to efforts to block Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the U.S. “We are pleased to see the federal government finally beginning to understand that states like OH want more regular information about refugees being resettled in our state”, said Kasich press secretary Joe Andrews.

The new letter echoed that position, referencing the provision in the law and also devoting several paragraphs to explaining the logic behind Abbott’s position.

“States may not deny (Office of Refugee Resettlement)-funded benefits and services to refugees based on a refugee’s country of origin or religious affiliation.”

As he explained, funding for refugee resettlement comes from the federal government, and is funneled through the state’s Office for Refugees and Immigrants.

The Obama administration is offering to send state governors personalized reports with detailed information about refugees that have been resettled in their state so far this year.

Texas health officials say other resettlement groups are cooperating, though IRC is not the only group in Texas that has pledged to continue accepting Syrians.

“It is the most robust screening process for any any category of individuals seeking admission into the United States”, McDonough said in his letter to Brown.

A protester against the United States’ acceptance of Syrian refugees uses a USA flag to block a counter-protester’s sign that read “Refugees Welcome” during a demonstration at the Washington State capitol in Olympia, Washington, November 20, 2015.