Syrian refugees designated for Texas resettlement stay in New York

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he’s opening his city’s doors to Syrian refugee families after Texas sued the federal government to block their settlement.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit this week seeking to stop several Syrian refugees seeking to resettle in Houston and Dallas.

The refugees coming to Dallas include two children ages 3 and 6; their parents and grandparents. The family plans to join other family members who have been in north Texas for ten months. “At any moment, at any given time, you can be killed”.

At least 242 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Texas since 2012.

However, Paxton is still going forward with the lawsuit.

Abbott is one of 31 state Governors who have said they would deny Syrian refugees from resettling in their state, even though it is widely accepted that states do not have the authority or enforcement power to do so.

Texas is scheduled to resettle a total of 21 Syrian refugees in Dallas and Houston next week.

Abbott has said he was concerned that USA security screening is ineffective and could allow people with ties to terrorism to be admitted. Paxton cites the federal government’s “provid[ing] additional requested information” about the group of refugees scheduled to arrive in Texas in the coming week as the reason for the withdrawal.

In a court filing on Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the International Rescue Committee in the suit, argued the state’s attempt to block Syrian refugees is illegal because it violates federal civil rights and discrimination laws that protects refugees from discrimination on the basis of nationality.

Texas will continue to seek an injunction that requires the federal government to consult with Texas prior to assigned refugee resettlement. The commission had been ordered by Texas Governor Greg Abbott not to participate in any federal resettlement of Syrian refugees.

A spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee said the Syrian family of six had arrived in NY on Friday.

Attorneys for the state have asked the judge for a hearing by next Wednesday.

Federal officials told U.S. District Judge David Godbey in court filings that Texas was harming national interests determined by President Barack Obama.

The decisions in the injunction lawsuit and the various other lawsuit linked to Syrian refugee resettlement could set precedents for whether state governors have any legal means to bar resettlement.

The state says it needs to assess whether the refugees might represent a threat, especially in the wake of the Paris massacre perpetrated by ISIS militants just three weeks ago.

“We are confident that the IRC has always acted in accordance with the law when it comes to our work to assist refugees who have been given sanctuary in Texas”, said Jennifer Sime, senior vice president of the International Rescue Committee.

“It’s not clear what individual states can do to keep refugees out”.