A federal judge has slapped down — yet again — Texas’s latest attempt to block the resettlement of Syrian refugees to the state.
US District Court Judge David Godbey ruled state officials ultimately failed to prove these families would cause “irreparable injury” to Texas, and that it is the federal government’s job to assess that risk anyway, “not the states and not the courts.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is one of two dozen or so other Republican Governors vowing to slam the door shut on refugees. President Obama has said the United States will take in about 10,000 refugees fleeing violence and war in Syria. The federal government has so far admitted about 2,000 refugees to various states around the nation.
“We have resettled refugees to Texas for forty years,” said one of the non-profit organizations tasked by the federal government to help settle families. “We warmly welcome today’s ruling as a validation of the lawfulness of that work and a reminder that Texas is a place where refugees are welcome to restart and build their lives.”
Many of the Republican leaders opposing resettlement of Syrian refugees in their states are also a part of the lawsuit — also led by the state of Texas — blocking the implementation of DAPA and expanded DACA, which would protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.
As in the lawsuit attempting to block refugees, the states in the lawsuit blocking immigration action claim that DAPA and expanded DACA would cause harm to their states. The Supreme Court will hold oral arguments around April, with a decision expected around June.
“Since Obama took office in January 2009, the most populous Republican-controlled state has filed suit against his administration 39 times on issues ranging from immigration to the environment to abortion,” noted Reuters.
