(Natural News) In September, President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing states to choose whether or not they want to participate in the federal refugee resettlement program.
As is nearly every order the president signs dealing with refugees, illegal immigrants, and anyone else that does not have an automatic, inherent right to be in our country, several Left-wing groups filed suit in a friendly federal court in an attempt to stop what really was nothing more than a rare display of federalism.
Pending a decision by the courts, a number of states have already stepped up and said they would take refugees, and, some would say ironically, many of them are led by Republican governors — thus putting the lie (again) to the Left’s allegations that conservatives are racists, haters and bigots.
In any event, one state has now stepped up and said it would not accept any refugees this year (which Trump limited to just 18,000) — Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced this week, in a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that he “cannot consent to initial refugee resettlement” this year.
“This decision does not deny any refugee access to the United States. Nor does it preclude a refugee from later coming to Texas after initially settling in another state,” the governor said.
So — is Abbott just a white nationalist bigot?
Many Democrat voters would say so, but they’re perpetually angry and unhinged, having been terminally stricken with Trump Derangement Syndrome. In actuality, Abbott has a very good reason for refusing new refugees: Illegal immigration.
Since (Democrats in) Congress have refused to work with the president and “deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system,” Texas is already handling its share of second- and third-world poor and needy.
“Texas continues to have to deal with the consequences of an immigration system that Congress has failed to fix,” Abbott said in his letter, according to the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.
Texas steps up to lead — again
According to the president’s order, not just state governments but also local jurisdictions had to approve the resettlement of refugees, so if certain counties, cities, or towns also want to opt out, they can. Per the order, they are to submit funding requests to the State Department by Jan. 21, reported Reuters.
Abbott faced serious pressure from some city leaders and immigration advocates to accept as many refugees as possible, but he didn’t succumb to the pressure.
In fact, Texas has been taking in more refugees than any other state over the past decade, which was before states could opt out under Trump’s order. Before they could not, and a cynic might believe that Obama sent as many refugees as he could to red state Texas so he could turn it purple or even blue, since most immigrants and refugees who earn the right to vote cast ballots for Democrats.
Over the past 10 years, Texas has taken in about 10 percent of all refugees. (Related: Confirmed: ISIS terrorists attempting to use U.S. refugee program to invade America.)
“In 2016, roughly 7,800 refugees resettled in the state, or 9% of refugees arriving in the U.S., according to Church World Service. That number dropped by roughly 3,000 people the following year. In 2019, Texas resettled 2,458 refugees, according to the group,” the Statesman newspaper reported.
While the U.S. has traditionally accepted refugees, there is no legal obligation to accept everyone who comes. But that hasn’t stopped Leftists from complaining.
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, indicated in her group’s complaint that they just disagree with the president’s policy.
“This executive order is unconstitutional and compassionless, and reflects a complete misunderstanding of the refugee resettlement process in this country,” she said in a statement.
The process is what federal law — and the president — say it is. Again, there is no inherent right for anyone who wants to be admitted into our country.
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