State Capitol Highlights

Governor communicates stance on refugees to White House

Gov. Greg Abbott on Nov. 16 wrote a letter to the White House, informing President Obama “the State of Texas will not accept any refugees from Syria in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Paris.”

“Further,” Abbott wrote, “I and millions of Americans implore you to halt your plans to accept more Syrian refugees in the United States. The FBI director testified to Congress that the federal government does not have the background information that is necessary to effectively conduct proper security checks on Syrian nationals.”

Abbott quoted FBI Director James Comey, who last month told the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, “We can query our database until the cows come home, but there will be nothing show up because we have no record of them.”

So, Abbott said, “Effective today, I am directing the Texas Health & Human Services Commission’s Refugee Resettlement Program to not participate in the resettlement of any Syrian refugees in the State of Texas. And I urge you, as president, to halt your plans to allow Syrians to be resettled anywhere in the United States. Neither you nor any federal official can guarantee that Syrian refugees will not be part of any terroristic activity. As such, opening our door to them irresponsibly exposes our fellow Americans to unacceptable peril.”

In other news, on Nov. 17, Abbott appointed Cecile Young as state refugee coordinator “to ensure coordination of public and private resources in refugee resettlement in the state.”

Young, who has more than 28 years of state government budget and policy experience, has served three governors, an attorney general and a state representative. 

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