“We hope that Gov. Abbott and the state of Texas will embrace Faez and Syrians like him, all of whom are ready to embrace the American dream”, the IRC statement said. She said, “I signed on for 200,000 refugees” and that ended up in the Kirk ad. But the number, even at 100,000, is still a heck of a lot more than Obama is proposing, as the refugee issue continues to fester.
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The problem with that is, it’s after the fact, after refugees have been delivered to the states, and this information is already available to anyone who goes to the federal refugee-center database.
In a November 25 letter, which you can read here, Chris Traylor, executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, threatened to cut off state funding to the Dallas branch of the International Rescue Committee if they don’t comply with the Governor’s directive.
“Gov. Brown appreciates the White House’s responsiveness in providing a thorough explanation of the vetting process and working to address concerns governors have expressed”, Kristen Grainger, Brown’s chief press secretary, said Monday.
Kirk’s political team is focusing on the refugee issue in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks last month as a way to draw “a clear contrast on the major national security issue of the day”, Kirk campaign manager Kevin Artl told me.
And her organization plans to continue its work despite the state’s action, she said.
While President Barack Obama has compared the Syrian refugees to the pilgrims that first fled to America, more than 30 governors have pledged to block Syrian refugees from landing in their states.
The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement last week warned Abbott and other governors that they do not have the power to reject Syrian refugees, telling them they would be breaking the law if they denied benefits or services to refugees based on their country of origin or religion.
Bruce Rauner is rebuffing a bid by the White House to assuage concerns over Syrian refugees.
Similar letters are expected to be sent to any refugee resettlement group that takes a similar position against Gov. Greg Abbott. The disagreement started after the Paris assaults when reports surfaced in that at the least one of many suspects could have entered Europe with a wave of Syrian refugees.
Obstinate agencies, Traylor concluded, could have their state contracts terminated or face “other legal action”.
“Your agency insists on resettling certain refugees from Syria in the near future”. Funds to provide housing, clothing, and other assistance are distributed jointly by state and federal offices through contracts with partners such as IRC. “It is the most robust screening process for any category of individuals seeking admissions into the United States”.
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“We have a cooperative agreement (with the federal government) that mandates our services”, Duvin said. The resettlement program accepts refugee referrals from the United Nations and U.S. embassies after interviews and clearances through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are completed. “There are follow-up questions that governors are going to have with regard to this information”.
