Texas formally pulls out of federal refugee resettlement program

Texas has officially withdrawn from the nation’s refugee resettlement program, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said Friday. But that won’t stop the federal government from continuing to help refugees relocate here.

And it won’t stop local governments and community church and family support networks from providing assistance.

Citing security concerns, Abbott’s office said Texas will no longer participate in the federal program that helps thousands of refugees from around the world resettle in the state. State officials threatened last week to withdraw from the resettlement program if the feds did not “unconditionally approve” its amended state plan to only accept refugees who “are fully vetted and do not present a security threat” — part of Texas’ efforts to keep Syrian refugees out of the state.

“Texas has repeatedly requested that the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the director of national intelligence provide assurances that refugees resettled in Texas will not pose a security threat, and that the number of refugees resettled in Texas would not exceed the state’s original allocation in fiscal year 2016 — both of which have been denied by the federal government,” Abbott said in a statement.

Federal officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. They’ve previously stressed that refugees are only settled in the United States after lengthy, stringent security screenings that can take up to two years. Security officials with the state department conduct background and biometric screenings, and process applications received through the United Nations, which operates refugee camps around the world.

Texas’ withdrawal from the resettlement program is the latest in its efforts to keep those fleeing war-torn Syria from entering the state. Following terrorist attacks in Paris in November that killed 130 people, Abbott and other Texas Republicans raised concerns about refugee screening.

In November, Abbott directed resettlement nonprofits in Texas to stop accepting Syrian refugees — a move the federal government said exceeded Texas’ authority. The state then sued to block the arrival of Syrian refugees from the state, but the case was dismissed. Texas has appealed the ruling.

Texas and U.S. officials had been negotiating refugee resettlement plans for the 2017 federal fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. State officials had asked federal officials to tell them by Friday whether they would approve or reject Texas’ amended plan. The proposal also said Texas would only accept the same number of refugees relocated to the state in the 2016 federal budget year: 7,802. The U.S. State Department had proposed to increase the number of refugees resettled in Texas by 25 percent, state officials previously said.

Refugee resettlement efforts are completely funded by the federal government, with the state serving as a middle man. Once refugees are cleared, one of nine national resettlement organizations places them in communities across the country, where local nonprofits contracted by the state use federal dollars to help them find jobs, learn English and enroll children in school.

Though the state of Texas will no longer oversee that contracting and disburse funding, refugees will continue to be relocated here. The feds can appoint another entity — likely a nonprofit — to coordinate resettlement efforts. It’s a set-up that was in place in six states in 2015, resettlement officials have said.

Services to continue

Refugee services providers and religious leaders have promised to continue resettlement efforts and condemned Abbott’s threat to withdraw from the program.

“Texans are welcoming and compassionate people,” 13 refugee assistance providers said Thursday in a joint statement. “We will continue to uphold those values as we help the most vulnerable among us rebuild their lives in peace and freedom.”

Chris Kelley, spokesman for Refugee Services of Texas, has said the governor is sending the wrong signal at a time when the world is experiencing a refugee crisis. “We are going to do what we need to do,” Kelley said, explaining that resettlement groups across Texas may need to re-create the state system at the nonprofit level if Texas severs its relationship with the federal government.

For several years, Texas has led the nation in the number of refugees arriving. It is a pattern that continued throughout much of the current fiscal year, which ends Friday.

The latest figures available by the federal government show that between Oct. 1 and Aug. 31, Texas led the country with 6,736 refugees. That number will change by the time the September numbers are added because refugees continue arriving, including many from Syria.

Over the past year, at least 897 Syrian refugees had arrived in Texas, according to available federal data.

It might be a good idea for Tarrant County individually, or in conjunction with other large counties that deal with refugee populations, to explore contracting directly with the federal government, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said.

Tarrant health officials provide health screenings for the refugees when they arrive. They worry that the new arrivals will not have had the most basic healthcare services including such things as vaccinations for tuberculous and measles. Under a $2.2 million grant, Tarrant County pays for 13 staffers and a part-time manager who work in refugee health services.

“There is nothing we can do about the federal government sending refugees to the area, but we must ensure the safety of all of our citizens once they arrive,” Whitley said. “We need to try and recover those funds other than increase the tax burden on our citizens.”

Staff writers Max B. Baker and John Gravois contributed to this report, which includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Texas formally pulls out of federal refugee resettlement program."