Six Syrian refugees have settled in their Dallas home over the initial objections of Texas officials who wanted to stop them.
International Rescue Committee spokeswoman Lucy Carrigan said Tuesday that the family arrived Monday afternoon. She described the family as relieved and eager to start a new life in the United States.
Carrigan declined to identify where the family was living due to safety concerns.
The family's arrival was closely watched because it comes after Texas officials said they wanted to ban new Syrian refugees following the deadly Nov. 13 Paris attacks.
When the IRC indicated it would continue with resettling the family and other Syrians in Texas, the state went to court. The state has since withdrawn its request for an immediate ban on Syrian arrivals.
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz announced new efforts to try to block Syrian refugees from entering the country.
Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas teamed up Tuesday to push new curbs on Syrian refugees entering the United States, with Cruz unveiling a new bill that would let states "opt out" of accepting some refugees. "America is a charitable nation, but we cannot allow charity for some to compromise the safety for all," Abbott said during a news conference with Cruz in Washington, D.C. The new legislation, known as the State Refugee Security Act, would "empower states and governors to have even more tools" to address challenges stemming from the resettlement of refugees from war-torn countries in their states, Abbott said. The governor is among more than 30 chief state executives who have refused to accept Syrian refugees in light of security concerns.
Photo: Muhammad Hamed/Reuters
