Texas Decision to Become First State to Refuse Refugees a “Failure”

Statement by Refugees International President Eric Schwartz on Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to stop accepting refugees in 2020:

“Governor Abbott’s announcement that Texas will not accept refugees—in response to an executive order which itself is unconstitutional—reflects a lack of compassion and basic decency as well as a failure to recognize the substantial contributions that generations of new Americans have made not only to the United States but to the state of Texas. This failure is all the more tragic in light of Texas’ longstanding commitment to welcoming and resettling refugees here in the United States. In light of the very low national refugee ceiling of 18,000 announced by the Trump administration, the number of refugees resettled in Texas would have been very small—revealing that Governor Abbott’s announcement is more politics than about policy.”

 

For more information or to interview Eric Schwartz, please contact Sarah Sheffer at ssheffer@refugeesinternaitonal.org or +1 203 305 9880.