But it’s worth flagging a different suit by Texas against the federal government, filed late Wednesday, that seeks an injunction barring the resettlement of Syrian refugees into Texas-on the ground that such resettlement would violate 8 U.S.C. § 1522, a provision that appears to require the federal government to engage in at least some consultation with states on refugee resettlement matters.
Advertisement
Donna Duvin, the IRC’s executive director in Dallas, said in a sworn declaration included in the court filing that not only was information already being shared but Texas had only wanted to know dates of arrivals and the number of Syrian refugees coming to the state.
Abbott’s order to block Syrian refugees in Texas came shortly after the terrorist attack in Paris.
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday withdrew a request for a temporary restraining order that sought to stop six Syrian refugees from coming to Dallas. Both said the state had no authority to stop the refugees from coming.
Paxton said the lawsuit succeeded in cajoling “requested information” about the refugees but did not elaborate. However, that procedure, which includes background and biometric checks against intelligence databases, can take up to two years and will be administered by the US Department of State, according to resettlement leaders.
The lawsuit argues that the federal government and resettlement group have not fulfilled their contractual obligations to consult with, and provide information to, state officials. Nine other refugees – a family of eight and a 26-year-old woman – are scheduled to arrive in Houston on Thursday. A dozen of the refugees bound for Texas arrived in New York on Thursday and Friday and were greeted warmly by Democratic New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Advertisement
Also Friday, the agency bringing the refugees to Texas – the International Rescue Committee – urged Godbey to allow resettlement efforts to continue, saying Abbott is “acting without any lawful authority … to interfere with refugee resettlement”. Figuring out where to house refugees is the federal government’s job. The federal government argued in court paper that Texas was seeking “an unwarranted veto power over individual federal refugee resettlement decisions”. The family could arrive as early as Monday and includes two children under the age of 6. “We have had a strong and collaborative relationship with the State for the past 40 years to the benefit of refugees and local communities”.
