Texas will close its doors to the resettlement of new refugees, making it the first state to do so, Governor Greg Abbott announced.

In a letter, Abbott wrote that Texas “has been left by Congress to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system,” and added that his state has done “more than its share.”

The decision was a response to an executive order by President Trump in September that gave states and local governments the ability to decide whether or not they will receive refugees.

While a city or county may say “no” to refugees even if the state accepts them, it may not say “yes” if the state has declined, as in the case of Texas.

Abbott said that the priority of the state and its nonprofit organizations should be on “those who are already here, including refugees, migrants, and the homeless — indeed, all Texans.”

While Abbott called Texas “one of the most welcoming states for refugees,” he noted the large volume of migrant flow the state has experienced due to illegal immigration:

In May 2019, for example, around 100,000 migrants were apprehended crossing the state’s southern border. In June 2019, individuals from 52 different countries were apprehended here. And in FY2018, the apprehensions included citizens from disparate countries like China, Iran, Kenya, Russia, and Tonga. Texas continues to have to deal with the consequences of an immigration system that Congress has failed to fix.

Additionally, Texas took in more refugees than any other state during the 2018 fiscal year, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Texas’ resettlement of 88,300 refugees since the 2002 fiscal year is second only California, according to the Pew Research Center.

Abbott’s letter did not specify what will become of currently pending refugee cases.

The announcement was censured by pro-refugee groups. Ali Al Sudani, chief programs officer of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, voiced concern for refugees with plans to travel to Texas whose flights may be rescheduled or delayed.

“You can imagine the message that this decision will send to them and to their families,” Al Sudani said. “It’s very disappointing and very sad news, and honestly, this is not the Texas that I know.”

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, a Democrat, also took issue with Abbott’s decision. “You have people who are fleeing violence, people who are assisting us in the war on terror, who are having the door slammed in their faces.”

So far, President Trump has reduced the number of refugees allowed into the country to the historic low of 18,000 for the 2020 fiscal year, which is down from 30,000 the previous fiscal year.

Governors in 42 states have already signaled that they will consent to more refugees, according to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, which carries out refugee resettlement with local agencies throughout the country.

Even Republican governors are keeping the door open to refugees, including those of Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. Democrat governors in the red states of Nebraska, Montana, North Carolina, and Kansas are doing the same.

The governors who have not yet stated their position on the issue are from Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Wyoming.

President Trump has called for a tougher immigration policy than his predecessors. One of his recent initiatives is the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the Remain in Mexico policy, under which illegal migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. are taken to Mexico while they await their hearings.

The Trump administration is strengthening the policy by now returning migrants deep into Mexico’s interior, rather than dropping them off at the border as has long been the practice.

The Department of Homeland Security began test flights from Tucson, Arizona, to Guadalajara in December, returning Mexican nationals from non-border states.

The idea is to make it harder for migrants to attempt another illegal border crossing, while putting them closer to their hometowns. Officials also say that returning migrants closer to their homes allows them to receive services from the Mexican government. DHS says it expects to return 250 migrants a week.

“This is another example of the Trump Administration working with the Government of Mexico to address the ongoing border security crisis,” said DHS spokeswoman Heather Swift. “Mexico has been a great partner in stopping illegal migration before they reach our border and in standing up the Migrant Protection Protocol which has allowed us to provide court dates to more than 55,000 individuals.”

Luis Miguel is a marketer and writer whose journalistic endeavors shed light on the Deep State, the immigration crisis, and the enemies of freedom. Follow his exploits on Facebook, Twitter, Bitchute, and at luisantoniomiguel.com.