Texas must accept Syrian refugees, rules US court
Texas must accept Syrian refugees, rules US court
Texan Republicans have failed for a second time in their bid to ban Syrian refugees from being resettled in their state, as a district judge rules against their case.
2 min read
The Republicans' efforts were not appreciated by all Texans [Getty]
Texas will be forced to resettle Syrian refugees, after a US court decision.
The Lone Star state's leading Republicans had attempted to block NGOs from bringing in asylum seekers, but their bid was cut short by District Judge David Gobey.
It is the second such request by the state in three months, and the decision sets a precedent for 30 other US governors who are trying to keep refugees out.
Gobey told the Republican plaintiffs that Texas would not suffer "irreparable harm" if they allowed in the refugees, Reuters news agency said.
"The court does not deny that the Syrian refugees pose some risk. That would be foolish," Godbey wrote. "In our country, however, it is the federal executive that is charged with assessing and mitigating that risk, not the states and not the courts."
President Barack Obama has said the US will allow in 10,000 refugees - but the decision faced a right-wing backlash. So far, only 2,000 have been admitted.
Texas has been one of the main "relocation sites" in the US for Syrian refugees, with the state accepting 243 in 2011, the first year of the Syrian revolution.
However, after the attacks in Paris, Reuters reported that Texas Governor Greg Abbott wanted to close the state to more Syrian refugees.
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