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The Obama years might be behind the country finally, but federal lawmakers from Texas are standing up for states’ rights when it comes to settling foreign refugees by introducing a bill that would give power back to the states to decide if refugees will be allowed to settle within their borders.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Houston-area Republican Rep. Ted Poe have drafted a bill aimed at allowing governors to deny the federal government the ability to resettle refugees in their state, according to The Hill.
The “State Refugee Security Act” was drafted by the two legislators in response to actions the Obama administration took that allowed to federal government to send refugees to various states, often without the states’ consent.
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Crime in those areas rose, and many blamed the refugees, who would not all assimilate and follow the rules of the country they were seeking safe harbor in.
Poe commented that Obama’s “open door policy” did not keep the security of the states in mind.
“Until the federal government can conduct thorough security screenings and confirm that there are no security risks, Congress should empower states to be able to protect their citizens by refusing to participate in this program,” he said, according to the Washington Examiner.
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Cruz said that he was hopeful that the new administration would understand the needs for the states to protect themselves, saying in a statement that: “I am encouraged that, unlike the previous administration, one of President Trump’s top priorities is to defeat radical Islamic terrorism.”
“To augment the efforts of the new administration, this legislation I have introduced will reinforce the authority of the states and governors to keep their citizens safe.”
Under the bill, the federal government would have to notify states at least 21 days before it seeks to settle a refugee in the area. If a state governor can certify that the federal government hasn’t offered enough assurances that the refugee does not pose a security risk, the state can then block the resettlement effort.
This is a huge step toward a saner refugee resettlement policy.
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H/T Fox News
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