TX REFUGEE RELOCATION AGENCIES - Refugee agencies in Texas are bracing for a possible ban on resettlement efforts in the state. Earlier this month -- Governor Greg Abbott became the first governor to say his state would no longer accept new refugees. BUT, a federal judge temporarily blocked the executive order -- signed by President Trump in September -- that gave states the power to refuse refugees in their jurisdiction.
Suzy Cop is the director of the International Rescue Committee. She joined a coalition of ten groups that met in Dallas recently to formally denounce the governor's move and also to express support for the judge's decision.
"If it doesn't hold, obviously that will mean as of June, that refugees will not be resettling,"explains Cop. " At least not through our organization -- into the state of Texas."
In the meantime -- the International Rescue Committee is still processing Texas resettlement cases. Ashley Faye is development director for another group - Refugee Services of Texas.
"Our goal is to really survive this time, "Faye said. "So that when refugee resettlement picks up, which it will in future administrations, the infrastructure is there, the case managers are there, and we can jump right in to serving a much larger population."
According to the US Refugee Admissions Program -- Texas has been a leader on refugee resettlement: From October 2018 to October 2019, the states took in 2,457, or about 8 percent, of the 30,000 total refugees resettled in the US.
