Texas will no longer accept new refugees, Abbott says

HOUSTON – Texas will reject the resettlement of new refugees, becoming the first state known to do so under a recent Trump administration order, Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday.

Abbott wrote in a letter that Texas "has been left by Congress to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system."

The governor added that Texas, which typically takes in thousands of refugees each year, has done “more than its share.”

Abbott remains quiet on whether the state will opt out of refugee program

The Trump administration announced in November that resettlement agencies must get written consent from state and local officials in any jurisdiction where they want to help resettle refugees beyond June 2020.

Governors in 42 other states have said they will consent to allowing in more refugees, according to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.