Refugees Daily - Internal Global Press Review

Texas has officially withdrawn from the nation's refugee resettlement program, according to Gov.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

Abbott's office confirmed on Friday that Texas will no longer participate in the federal program, which helps thousands of refugees from around the world resettle in the state. Citing security concerns, 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.

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 be the middle man, refugees will continue to be relocated here. The feds can appoint another entity – likely a nonprofit – to coordinate resettlement efforts and disburse funding. It's a set-up that was in place in six states in 2015, resettlement officials have said.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2016/09/30/texas-officially-withdraws-refugee-resettlement-pr/.