Fort Worth mayor urges Abbott to allow refugees in Texas under new Trump policy
While the Trump administration’s plan to allow states and cities to block refugees from resettling in their areas is challenged in court, Mayor Betsy Price is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to continue allowing refugees to call Texas home.
In a letter sent to Abbott’s office on Friday, Price requested that Abbott provide his written consent to the U.S. State Department, a new measure required under Trump’s Sept. 26 executive order to allow refugees to resettle within the state. Texas leads the nation in resettling the largest number of refugees.
“As Mayor, I’ve witnessed the mutually beneficial impact of resettling almost 2,600 refugees in Fort Worth since 2016,” Price wrote, “I don’t want to risk fixing anything that is not broken. I have heard from supportive local employers and faith leaders who share my concern that refugees may no longer be permitted in Fort Worth and North Texas, potentially harming our economy and increasing the risk that refugees might not be placed with their Texas family members.”
Previously, the federal government coordinated with local refugee resettlement agencies when determining where to place accepted refugees. However, President Donald Trump’s recent executive order stipulates that refugees should be resettled “only in those jurisdictions in which both the State and local governments have consented to receive refugees,” requiring local governments to expressly give their written consent.
In September, Trump also announced 18,000 refugees would be admitted to the U.S. for fiscal year 2020 — a low since the program began in 1980 and a reduction of 40% from the previous year’s cap of 30,000.
The cap comes at a time when there are about 25.9 million refugees worldwide — some of the highest numbers the world has ever seen — according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
And a majority of the openings are already designated for certain groups, with the Trump administration stipulating 5,000 spots will be reserved for those fleeing religious prosecution, 4,000 for Iraqis who worked with the U.S. military, 1,500 for those from certain Central American countries and the remaining 7,500 prioritizing those seeking family reunification.
Price’s request was followed Monday by a letter from nearly 90 mayors nationwide urging the Trump administration to rescind its recent executive order and permit more refugees to resettle in the U.S. next year. Texas mayors from Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio signed the letter.
In the letter, the mayors stressed ways refugees enrich communities and warned that the executive order would “lead to a patchwork of conflicting policies.”
“It will also leave thousands of refugees, former refugees, and U.S. citizens without consistent and routine access to integration services and other supports,” the letter read. “This is an unprecedented and harmful procedure, particularly given that resettlement agencies already consult regularly with state and local stakeholders regarding community needs.”
Volunteers with the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth have helped provide support for newly resettled refugees, outfitting apartments, providing mentorship and assistance getting a driver’s license. Katie Sherrod, a spokeswoman for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, said she was glad the mayor appealed to the governor but was “puzzled” Price didn’t sign the national letter
“The more voices speaking to the federal government the better,” Sherrod said. “If you’re going to send one letter why not send both?”
Laken Rapier, a spokeswoman for Price, said the mayor did not sign onto the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ letter because Price felt the most effective avenue for progress was to work directly with Abbott’s office. Price requested Abbott provide his written consent by Jan. 21, 2020 at the latest — the date when funding proposals from resettlement agencies are due to the U.S. State Department. Rapier said Abbott’s office has not responded to Price’s letter.
Price has not submitted a written consent to federal officials for refugees to continue to be resettled in Fort Worth, but plans to discuss the issue in Washington, D.C., when she is there for a conference in December, Rapier said.
Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to questions Monday about the governor’s plans.
Abbott removed the state from participating in the federal resettlement program in 2016 after the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement didn’t approve a state plan that would have required national security officials to ensure that refugees don’t “pose a security threat” — part of the state’s efforts to keep out Syrian refugees.
Refugees were still permitted to resettle in Texas, with the help of resettlement agencies that are funded, in part, by the federal government. However, that may change if Abbott decides to bar refugees from Texas.
Under the executive order, the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Health and Human Services have until late December — 90 days after the order was issued — to establish a process to determine local consent and release any written consents received.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s order has been challenged in court. Three national refugee resettlement agencies filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Thursday in an attempt to stop the order from being enforced. Filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland, the lawsuit alleges Trump’s order violates federal law and is the latest attempt to dismantle the U.S. refugee resettlement program.
Nationwide, refugee admissions have been on the decline. In 2016, the U.S. resettled about 97,000 refugees. That number dropped sharply to roughly 33,000 in 2017 — the first year the U.S. has ever resettled fewer refugees than rest of the world — according to the Pew Research Center.
In fiscal year 2019, Texas led the nation, resettling 2,458 refugees, or 8.19% of all refugees resettled in the U.S. during that time, according to federal figures.
While Texas has the highest number of refugees resettled nationwide, it’s a sharp decline from just a few years ago. In fiscal year 2016, 7,802 refugees resettled in Texas, and at its peak, 8,212 refugees resettled in the state in fiscal year 2009.
According to an analysis by New American Economy, an advocacy organization that researches how immigration affects the economy, 234 refugees were resettled in Fort Worth in 2018, an 84% decrease from the city’s peak of 1,497 in 2016.
The decline has resulted in dozens of resettlement agencies across the country forced to close their doors or scale back on services. And the effects have been felt in Fort Worth, where plans are under way for the school district to scale back on the number of language centers for the upcoming school year.
This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 2:42 PM.
