Pence last month directed the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to “suspend” resettlement of Syrian refugees until he is satisfied that the federal government has put in place proper security measures to screen out potential terrorists. Abbott was in Washington with Cruz to support a bill Cruz has introduced in Congress banning any refugees from Iraq, Syria or other countries deemed to be controlled by a foreign terrorist organization.
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“The Court does not downplay the risks that terrorism, as a general matter, may pose”, U.S. District Court Judge David Godbey wrote.
In the filing Wednesday, Paxton said the state was renewing its efforts to block the refugees arriving Thursday because the U.S. State Department had not provided additional refugee case information in light of new security concerns.
AUSTIN, Texas A USA federal court judge dismissed a request by Texas shortly after it was filed on Wednesday seeking a restraining order to block the imminent entry into the state of nine Syrian refugees, saying the evidence presented was “largely speculative hearsay”.
Texas “argues that terrorists could have infiltrated the Syrian refugees and could commit acts of terrorism in Texas”. They call it a national security issue after the Paris attacks.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis has resettled a family from Syria over the objections of Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who was sued for refusing to allow refugees fleeing the country to come to the state.
The family in Dallas arrived to a furnished apartment and a stocked refrigerator, said Lucy Carrigan, spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee. He quoted public comments from Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who said federal counterterrorism authorities indicated that people with connections to terrorists have tried infiltrating the USA refugee program, the Associated Press reported. He says the policy banning state agencies from helping Syrian refugees resettle will continue.
“It is essential that a judge consider halting the Syrian refugee process – at least on a temporary basis – to ensure refugees coming to the United States will be vetted in a way that does not compromise the safety of Americans and Texans”, Abbott said. But IRC Dallas did not anticipate a wave of opposition against the family’s Texas resettlement.
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From the Texas Tribune: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s second attempt to immediately block the arrival of additional Syrian refugees was even shorter-lived than the first. The state has a third lawsuit meant to stop the resettlement of refugees already making its way through the courts – an initial hearing on that lawsuit is scheduled for January.
