Amid the refugee crisis last year Texas filed a lawsuit seeking to block Syrians from settling in the Lone Star State. But now a federal judge in Dallas has denied that claim. US District Judge David Godbey ruled that Texas officials failed to make “a plausible claim for relief” from refugee settlement, reports The Austin American-Statesman.
The judge has dismissed the lawsuit at the urging of the Obama administration and the International Rescue Committee, a refugee resettlement group. This is not the first time Judge Godbey has denied requests to block Syrian refugees over fears that new arrivals could include terrorists.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he was disappointed in the decision. “We are considering our options moving forward to guarantee the safety of Texans from domestic and foreign threats,” Paxton said. The American Civil Liberties Union praised the ruling.