Greg Abbott and Mike Pence among more than two dozen Republican governors who said they would refuse new refugees after Paris attacks in November
Syrian refugee families have arrived in Texas and Indiana, defying efforts by the governors of those conservative US states to stop their arrival.
A Syrian family of six went to live on Monday near relatives who were already living in the Dallas area, said Lucy Carrigan, a spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee. And a Syrian couple and their two small children arrived safely in Indiana on Monday night, the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Indianapolis said in a statement.
Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Mike Pence of Indiana were among more than two dozen Republican governors who said they would refuse any new Syrian refugees following the deadly 13 November Paris attacks, which have been linked to the Islamic State group operating in Syria.
But federal officials and refugee agencies have continued resettlement. They say states are denying a safe haven to families displaced by war, and that a state’s role in resettlement does not include the authority to block them.
In Dallas, the family of six settled into an apartment with basic furniture and a stocked refrigerator, Carrigan said.
“They seem very happy,” Carrigan said. “And it was almost like breathing a sigh of relief that they have arrived. This has been a long journey for them, and it’s been a long journey for a lot of Syrian refugees.”
Texas has taken in more refugees than any other state in the past five years, including about 250 Syrian refugees. But it also fought harder than any other state to stop Syrian refugees after the attacks.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/08/syrian-refugee-families-arrive-texas-indiana