Texas sues as Syrian refugees head for the welfare state

Suspect’s father volunteered personal information about his son.

“I must ask that you fulfill your statutory duty to conduct your activities “in close cooperation and advance consultation” with the State of Texas”, state Health and Human Services Commissioner Chris Traylor wrote in a letter.

In short, the lawsuit says the state of Texas is afraid of some Syrian kids and their parents and grandparents.

Governor Greg Abbott along with 30 other governors across the country expressed an unwillingness to allow Syrian refugees to be resettled in their states. Despite the showmanship from Gov. Abbott and Commissioner Traylor, the Lone Star State technically has no authority to bar legally recognized refugees with federally-issued visas from coming into Texas. In a letter to Traylor, Texas Impact, a faith-based organization that crafts policy with theological grounding, said the HHS action “constitutes an unprecedented attempt on the part of a state agency to pressure private nonprofit organizations to violate federal law and their federal contractual obligations”.

The lawsuit stated that President Barack Obama has granted a waiver to refugees who “provided material support to terrorists if, among other things, the support was “insignificant” and the refugee ‘poses no danger to the safety and security of the United States'”.

More than 170 Syrians have settled in the U.S. since the Paris attacks, including in states whose Governors have resisted, according to U.S. State Department figures. Texas will sue the United States government over its refugee resettlement policy, the AP reports, along with a charity that help those fleeing war and oppression.

The IRC was threatened with a lawsuit by Texas last week. But the count is expected to increase as the US prepares to take in as many as 10,000 refugees next year.

“It is irresponsible for the refugee resettlement operations to put aside any type of security interest and continue to press on about this”, Abbott said, speaking to reporters on a conference call from Cuba, where he was wrapping up a three-day visit.

Texas Republicans, who control every office of state government, have been particularly outspoken in their opposition.

In mid-November, the US House of Representatives voted on a bill that would sharply increase the security screening of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, with a final vote of 289 in favor and 137 opposed. Denise Gilman, director of the immigration clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, said the federal government ultimately could just work directly with resettlement agencies.