Feds move to squash Alabama’s effort to block Syrian refugee resettlement

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July 6, 2016

Hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting for the next train in Vienna, Austria (Photo: Josh Zakary)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After dismissing a similar effort from Texas, the Federal Government is now taking efforts to block Alabama’s lawsuit that would prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state. Both the Lone-Star and Yellowhammer States sued the Federal Government in January to prevent the refugees from settling within their borders.

After the dismissal of the Texas suit, Alabama’s attorneys argued the differences between their suit and the case that the court decided to toss. Alabama’s suit was filed because state officials believe that the resettlement plan for Syrian refugees violates the Refugee Act of 1980, which requires that states be consulted before refugees are planted there.

“As Governor, the Alabama Constitution gives me the sovereign authority and solemn duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of all citizens of Alabama,” Gov. Bentley (R-Ala.) said in January when the suit was filed. “The process and manner in which the Obama Administration and the federal government are executing the Refugee Reception Program is blatantly excluding the states.”

Late last month, Yellowhammer reported that presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s plan for refugees is expected to come at a significant cost to taxpayers.

The Senate Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, headed by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), cited statistics calculated by economists at the Heritage Foundation who determined that the lifetime cost of the 10,000 refugees pledged by President Obama is $6.5 billion. Using that number as a baseline, Sessions’ committee determined the cost of Hillary’s plan drawn out over a four year term would be roughly $403 billion.

If elected, Clinton would plan to admit 620,000 refugees over the course of her term. This proposal represents an increase of 55,000 refugees a year over President Obama’s initial target for 2017, and Congress might be helpless to stop her.

“Due to statutory flaws in our Refugee Admissions Program, the number could be as high as Hillary Clinton desires,” the analysis states. Without a congressional mechanism to prevent executive action, it could be possible for Clinton to house some refugees in Alabama.

Just this month, the Obama administration attempted such a move with illegal immigrant minors. The Federal Government considered housing illegal immigrant minors in two Alabama military institutions: the Naval OutLying Fields (NOLF) in Silverhill and Orange Beach.