Texas is first US state to refuse refugee entry

The Texas became on Friday, 10, the first state American to refuse to accept refugees after the White House had given power to local jurisdictions to consent or not to receive foreign resettled by a federal program. The state is one of the main gateway for immigrants and refugees in the country.

Reducing immigration has been a central item of US President Donald Trump and his reelection campaign in 2020. One of his first acts after taking office in January 2017 was to issue a decree limiting the maximum number of refugees that year at 50,000. Since then, the limit has been lowered annually by the White House , which has taken radical measures, such as the separation of families on the Mexican border and the construction of a wall in that border.

"Currently, state and nonprofit organizations have a responsibility to devote resources available to those already here, including refugees, immigrants and the homeless," said Republican Greg Abbott, Texas governor, in a letter to the Department of US state. "As a result, Texas cannot consent (to refugee resettlement this fiscal year)," he added.

The decision is a big blow to the US refugee program, as Texas is the largest recipient of immigrants in the country. The State Department did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

So far 41 governors, including 18 Republicans, and at least 84 local officials have agreed to resettlement, according to a survey by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

To date, Florida and Georgia , other major refugee recipients, have remained silent about their positions. The Florida government says it is still looking into the matter, and the Georgia government declined to comment.