Judge denies renewed Texas effort to block Syrian refugees from state

Texas, traditionally a hub for refugees, has been sparring with the Obama administration over the relocation of people fleeing the Syrian civil war. Here are the 10 things you need to know about the legal battle.

Syrian refugees carry a baby over the border fence into Turkey from Syria, June 14, 2015. less Texas, traditionally a hub for refugees, has been sparring with the Obama administration over the relocation of people fleeing the Syrian civil war. Here are the 10 things you need to know about the legal ... more Photo: Lefteris Pitarakis, Associated Press Photo: Lefteris Pitarakis, Associated Press Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Judge denies renewed Texas effort to block Syrian refugees from state 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

A judge on Wednesday denied a renewed attempt by Texas officials to block nine Syrian refugees from entering the state, describing the state's safety concerns as "largely speculative hearsay."

"The (state) has failed to show by competent evidence that any terrorists actually have infiltrated the refugee program, much less that these particular refugees are terrorists intent on causing harm," U.S. District Judge David Godbey wrote in the two-page ruling.

The ruling came just hours after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a request for an emergency order blocking the nine refugees -- a couple and their six children as well as a woman seeking to be reunited with her mother -- who are scheduled to come to Houston.

The request was another stunning about-face for Paxton, who last week withdrew a similar request just two days after filing it.

In a court filing, the Republican said he filed the new motion after hearing two public speeches by U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee and receiving a sworn statement from Texas Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Robert Bodisch.

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"Evidence came to light after (a hearing earlier this week) that terrorist organizations have infiltrated the very refugee program that is central to the dispute," Paxton wrote.

It was unclear if Paxton was only seeking more information about the refugees, as his office said would be his priority going forward, or if he had completely changed his mind and decided to try blocking refugees altogether due to pressure from colleagues such as Gov. Greg Abbott.

Paxton's office did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

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Abbott, a Republican who was among about 30 of the nation's governors to declare opposition to Syrian refugees due to security concerns, had declined to publicly acknowledge Paxton's withdrawal of the initial request for an emergency order. But he was ready with a statement as soon as the new request was filed.

"It is essential that a judge consider halting the Syrian refugee process – at least on a temporary basis – to ensure refugees coming to the United States will be vetted in a way that does not compromise the safety of Americans and Texans," the statement said.

Godbey's ruling suggested that state officials were right to worry about terrorism and should continue to receive additional information from the federal government.

"Nonetheless," wrote Godbey, who was appointed to the bench in 2002 by then-President George W. Bush, "The Court finds that the (state) has failed to establish by a preponderance of the admissible evidence that there is a substantial threat of irreparable injury."

The latest twist in the legal case came as a pair of six-person refugee families were starting to build lives in Houston and Dallas after arriving in the state Monday. Those families had been targeted by Paxton's initial request for an emergency order.

Rebecca Robertson of the ACLU of Texas, which is representing a refugee resettlement organization in the case, said she was happy that the judge had opted to continue to let in refugees.

"The refugee families on their way here can be resettled without delay," Robertson said. "We are pleased that the Court refused to let the state of Texas interfere with humanitarian aid to people fleeing war and violence."

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