Gov. Greg Abbott, (left) shown in June, said Friday that his state has done “more than its share” in the settlement of refugees.

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

In a letter released Friday, Abbott wrote that Texas "has been left by Congress to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system." He added that Texas has done "more than its share."

Texas has long been a leader in settling refugees, taking in more than any other state during the 2018 federal fiscal year, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The state has large refugee populations in several of its major cities.

But the Republican governor has tried to stop refugees before, declaring in 2015 that Texas would not welcome people from Syria after the deadly Paris attacks that November. At the time, the administration of former President Barack Obama continued to send refugees to Texas and other states led by Republican governors who were opposed to it.

In November, President Donald Trump announced 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. Trump has already slashed the number of refugees allowed into the country for fiscal 2020, which ends Sept. 30, to a historic low of 18,000. About 30,000 refugees were resettled in the U.S. during the previous fiscal year.

In his letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Abbott argued that the state and its nonprofit organizations should instead focus on "those who are already here, including refugees, migrants, and the homeless -- indeed, all Texans."

However, governors in 42 other states have said they will consent to allowing in more refugees, according to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, which works with local agencies throughout the U.S. to resettle refugees.

Arkansas is among states willing to accept more refugees.

In a Dec. 23 letter to Pompeo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson notified the administration that Arkansas would be among those consenting to resettle refugees, saying the state also "values the contribution of immigrants and understands the importance of America continuing to be a welcoming nation for those truly seeking refuge and following the legal path to our land."

In a separate statement at the time, Hutchinson said the president's executive order would improve the state's ability to participate in refugee resettlement activities.

"Under the new executive order, the state will have more visibility. The approval will need to be each year, and the state will be able to assure the refugees are assimilating into the community and have access to jobs, education and job training," Hutchinson said. "I have confidence that local communities will provide the support necessary, but we will be able to monitor."

Abbott's decision was criticized by Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, CEO of the Lutheran refugee service, who called it "a devastating blow to a longstanding legacy of refugee resettlement in the state." It means officials in Houston, Dallas and other cities will not be able to take in refugees over the governor's objection, she said.

"There are some refugee families who have waited years in desperation to reunite with their family who will no longer be able to do so in the state of Texas," she said.

Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman also criticized Abbott, saying refugees "are not political pawns and bargaining chips to advance anti-immigrant policies."

Information for this story was contributed by staff of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

A Section on 01/11/2020