HOUSTON — Texas’ efforts to bar Syrian refugees from settling in the state were dealt a legal blow on Wednesday when a federal judge in Dallas dismissed the state’s lawsuit against federal officials and a nonprofit group that assists refugees.

After the terrorist attacks last year in Paris, Texas became the first state to try to block the resettlement of Syrian refugees by suing the Obama administration. Texas Republican leaders — including Gov. Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz — cited security concerns and said they believed that people with ties to terrorist groups were exploiting the refugee program. Officials in other states, including Indiana and Oklahoma, have publicly refused to accept Syrian refugees as well, but only Texas and Alabama filed federal lawsuits.

The Texas lawsuit accused the State Department and other federal agencies of violating the Refugee Act of 1980 by failing to consult with state officials before resettling refugees. It also charged that the nonprofit relief group, the International Rescue Committee, had breached its contract with the state.

In his opinion, released Thursday, Judge David C. Godbey of Federal District Court ruled that Texas’ claims had no legal merit. Judge Godbey did not rule on whether federal officials violated the Refugee Act. The judge ruled more narrowly, finding that Texas lacked legal standing to enforce the Refugee Act’s requirement on advance consultation with states and failed to prove sufficient facts to establish a breach of contract.