AUSTIN, Texas _ Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday said Texas won't participate in the federal refugee resettlement program, citing concerns about border security.
He faced pressure to remain in the program from leaders of the state's largest cities and refugee advocates.
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Abbott said he "cannot consent to initial refugee resettlement" in 2020.
"This decision does not deny any refugee access to the United States. Nor does it preclude a refugee from later coming to Texas after initially settling in another state," Abbott wrote.
Abbott's letter is in response to a new executive order by President Donald Trump, which requires states to consent in writing before accepting refugees. The deadline for states to consent is Jan. 21.
Texas, which has historically resettled more refugees than any other state, has seen a sharp decline in the number of refugees resettled since 2016.
In 2016, roughly 7,800 refugees resettled in the state, or 9% of refugees arriving in the U.S., according to Church World Service. That number dropped by roughly 3,000 people the following year. In 2019, Texas resettled 2,458 refugees, according to the group.
In his letter, Abbott noted that Texas has received more refugees than any other state, and over the decade, 10% of all refugees settled in the U.S. have been placed in Texas.
But, Abbott wrote, Texas can't accept additional refugees this year because Congress has left the state "to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system."
"Texas continues to have to deal with the consequences of an immigration system that Congress has failed to fix," Abbott said.
Abbott also ended the state's participation in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program in 2016, but the move did not halt the number of refugees entering the Lone Star State. Instead, it stopped Texas from disbursing federal dollars to local agencies. The federal government selected four nonprofits around the state to administer the refugee resettlement program.
At the time, Abbott cited potential security threats for withdrawing from the program.
