State of Texas Wages Legal Battle to Block Refugee Families from Arriving
Following on its threats, the state of Texas filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the federal government and an aid group to stop the settlement of refugees from war-torn Syria.
The Dallas Morning News reports:
The suit (pdf) charges that the defendants, which include the State Department, Secretary of State John Kerry, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the International Rescue Committee, have failed their legal obligations by “1) preventing Texas from receiving vital information to assess the security risk posed by the refugees in advance of their arrival, and 2) refusing to consult with the State in advance on placement of refugees in Texas.”
As Al Jazeera reports, the suit “ask[s] the U.S. District Court in Dallas for an immediate restraining order and a hearing by Dec. 9 for an injunction that would prevent resettlement. It is also asking that no other refugees be placed in Texas until then.”
In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton calls Syria “one of the world’s most potent hotbeds of terrorism,” and states, “The point of this lawsuit is not about specific refugees, it is about protecting Texans by ensuring that the federal government fulfills its obligation to properly vet the refugees and cooperate and consult with the state.”
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