Texas Public Policy Foundation’s General Counsel and Center for the American Future Director The Honorable Robert Henneke and Center for Tenth Amendment Action Director Chip Roy issued the following statement on letter sent yesterday by the State of Texas to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) giving official notice of its intention to withdraw from the federal refugee resettlement program should ORR not unconditionally approve Texas’ state plan by September 30th.
“The concept of cooperative federalism is very simple – cooperation between the federal government and states,” said Henneke. “As the federal government continue to force mandates down to the state level and ignore the importance of the Tenth Amendment, Texas should take more actions, like this, to sever its voluntary ties with federal programs.”
“The refusal by the federal government to work with Texas and our sister states to provide appropriate confidence in the screening and vetting of refugees undermines the American spirit of love and generosity demonstrated by the thousands of families across our nation who have opened their homes to refugees,” said Roy. “Governor Abbott is right – and within his authority – to demand that the Obama administration adhere to the refugee statutes and basic principles of federalism that require consultation with the states so that we can be as safe as possible when we open our doors to those in need.”