Tennessee will continue accepting refugees, Gov. Bill Lee says, as legislative leaders signal disapproval

Show Caption Hide Caption US slashes number of refugees to 30K The Trump administration is cutting the number of refugees allowed into the United States next year to 30,000. The announcement comes despite calls from global humanitarian groups that this year's cap of 45,000 was too low. (Sept. 17)

Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday announced Tennessee will continue to accept refugees, joining only a handful of Republican-led states in doing so as a deadline looms to inform the federal government of the state's stance on resettlement.

“The United States and Tennessee have always been, since the very founding of our nation, a shining beacon of freedom and opportunity for the persecuted and oppressed, particularly those suffering religious persecution,” Lee said in a statement.

“My administration has worked extensively to determine the best outcome for Tennessee, and I will consent to working with President Trump and his administration to responsibly resettle refugees.”

The GOP governor and his wife, Maria, have been involved in Christian missionary work internationally, as well as with refugees in the Nashville area.

But top Republicans, including the speakers of the House and Senate, quickly announced their disapproval with the governor's decision. The disagreement marks the most consequential conflict between the state's executive and legislative branches since Lee took office in January.

In a rare joint statement, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, pointed to the state's pending lawsuit against the federal government over refugee resettlement.

"Our opinion has not changed on this issue since legal action was taken," the speakers said, citing the legislature's previous support of Tennessee bringing the lawsuit.

"Our personal preference would have been to exercise the option to hit the pause button on accepting additional refugees in our state. However, the federal order makes this the sole decision of the Governor, and he has made his call."

Through a Sept. 26 executive order by President Donald Trump, the Secretary of State and secretary of Health and Human Services were given 90 days to develop a process to determine which state and local governments have given written consent to accept refugees.

Unlike in years past, state and local governments now have to declare in writing their willingness to participate in the federal resettlement program.

Tennessee has welcomed refugees — a vetted group of people who fear persecution in their home countries — for decades.

Lee's decision Wednesday comes ahead of a closing deadline. That deadline falls on Christmas Day, or soon after if weekends and federal holidays are not counted toward the 90 days.

Some major local governments across Tennessee have already agreed to accept refugees.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero sent letters to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in November that consent to welcoming refugees. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says he plans to send a letter to Pompeo on Wednesday, consenting to accepting refugees.

Tennessee joins a few other GOP states in refugee decision

Nationally, Lee’s decision is noteworthy, given how few Republican governors have been open to accepting refugees.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu have sent letters to the Trump administration expressing their intentions to continue to accept refugees.

In conservative Utah, Gov. Gary Herbert wrote a letter to the president, praising refugees as productive employees and responsible citizens. After his comments, the Utah legislature expressed support for the governor.

And earlier this month, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said the decision on whether to accept refugees should be made on the local level.

Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, praised Lee's decision on refugees.

“We applaud Gov. Lee in his decision to allow refugee resettlement to continue in the state of Tennessee,” she said. “The resettlement program is the highest expression of our values and aspirations as a country, and we’re relieved that it will continue.”

Many Republicans 'not happy,' Sexton says

Speaking to reporters in Nashville, Lee said he would not be surprised if there's disagreement with his decision.

"There’s disagreement around most subjects," he said. "That’s part of it, you agree to disagree on things and move forward. I think it’s the right decision, I feel good about it.”

In an interview Wednesday, Sexton said he believes many House Republicans would be weighing in with their opinions on the governor's decision in the next couple of days. He suspected most would disagree with Lee's announcement.

"I think the governor has a great heart," Sexton said. "I have no doubt he made the decision that he felt comfortable with. I think there's conservatives and Republicans who are not happy with the decision, obviously."

Sexton said the decision for the two speakers to issue a rare joint statement "says how big of a deal we think this is."

As was the case with an announcement by the governor's administration last month about a controversial plan to begin spending down excess federal block grant money, legislative leadership on Wednesday said they were caught off guard by Lee's announcement.

Sexton said a staff member from the governor's office called "about two hours before the announcement" to inform him of Lee's decision. He saw the letter Lee was sending to the two speakers "a couple minutes" before it was released to the media, Sexton said.

He noted that as of Wednesday afternoon, the speakers had not received a call from the governor.

"Everybody runs their office the way that they see fit," Sexton said. "That’s a discussion for them on how they would communicate."

In the letter to Sexton and McNally, Lee outlined his reasons for continuing to support refugee resettlement.

"The refugee population in Tennessee is small, and I believe our consent to cooperate and consult with the Trump Administration to provide a safe harbor for those who are fleeing religious persecution and violent conflict is the right decision," Lee wrote.

He reminded the speakers that the United States was founded as a place to offer freedom and opportunity, particularly for those facing religious persecution.

Like McNally and Sexton, though, Lee said he supported the state's ongoing lawsuit against the federal government over refugee resettlement.

The governor’s decision could set off a flurry of action on refugees by the legislature, where Republicans maintain supermajorities in both chambers.

With the General Assembly set to convene in less than a month, Lee’s latest move is all but certain to generate a backlash among members of his own party, many of whom supported a 2016 resolution ordering the state’s refugee lawsuit.

Last week, Rep. Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, who is one of the most conservative state lawmakers, filed a bill requiring Tennessee to halt any refugee resettlement.

Sexton said Griffey's bill may gain traction.

"There are a lot of members who would probably be supportive of that or other efforts in this," Sexton said.

But while Lee's move could generate some consternation, little could effectively be done to undercut the governor, given that the authority to make such decisions was granted by the president.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, said while he disagreed with Lee's decision, he did not anticipate any significant backlash.

"It will in no way impact my working relationship with the governor," he said. "We're not always going to agree on everything."

Sen. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, meanwhile, diverged from Republican legislative leadership to quickly praise Lee's decision to opt in.

“I applaud Gov. Lee for making this decision as I have long believed that a diverse and welcoming Tennessee makes us a stronger Tennessee," said Dickerson, who frequently bucks his party.

Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, tweeted soon after that Lee had "made the right decision here."

State refugee lawsuit ongoing

At the state level, Tennessee is currently suing the federal government over refugee resettlement.

The lawsuit, filed in 2017 at the request of the legislature by attorneys at a Michigan-based law firm, asserts the federal government is forcing states to pay for resettlement costs while violating the U.S. Constitution's 10th Amendment. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected it, potentially setting the stage for a U.S. Supreme Court battle if the justices take it up.

Trump's executive order said the federal government makes decisions in consultation with state and local authorities about the best communities to send refugees, but some have deemed that consultation insufficient.

"There is a need for closer coordination and a more clearly defined role for State and local governments in the refugee resettlement process. My Administration seeks to enhance these consultations," the executive order states.

It does go on to say refugees can be resettled in communities that do not provide written consent, but the secretary of state must notify the president and explain the reasons for it.

Representatives from the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition have decried the changes to the refugee resettlement program. The advocacy group pointed out in a statement released late last month that the U.S. has long been a world leader in refugee resettlement until now.

"The shamefully low admissions number will gut the refugee resettlement program and dismantle the infrastructure to support and welcome refugees across the U.S.," Judith Clerjeune, TIRRC's policy officer, said in a statement at the time. "But for Tennessee, these announcements all but guarantee that politicians will try to end refugee resettlement in our state completely."

Holly Meyer and Yihyun Jeong contributed to this story.

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.

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