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A5
U.S. NEWS Thursday 19 december 2019
Tennessee governor

says state will keep

resettling refugees

By JONATHAN MATTISE pating in the refugee pro-
Associated Press gram in 2008.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Catholic Charities of Ten-
Tennessee won't stop reset- nessee administers a pro-
tling refugees, Republican gram under a law that says
Gov. Bill Lee said Wednes- if a state withdraws, the
day, rejecting the option federal government can
offered to states by Presi- pick a nonprofit to adminis-
dent Donald Trump's ad- ter federal money for cash
ministration. and medical assistance In this Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019 photo Fartun Abdi, a 25-year-old
The issue forced Lee, who and social services to eli- Somalian sits at work in Nashville, Tenn.
campaigned on his Chris- gible refugees. Associated Press
tian beliefs, to consider Even if a state opts out un-
his own experience help- der Trump's order, refugees the pause button on ac- nessee for years.
ing refugees and weigh could still move there — but cepting additional refu- "The refugee population
it against the will of fellow they wouldn't get funding gees in our state." in Tennessee is small, and I
Republicans in the Legisla- for medical assistance and "I certainly know there's dis- believe our consent to co-
ture. GOP lawmakers had screenings, employment, agreement on this subject operate and consult with
sued the federal govern- social adjustment services but there's disagreement the Trump Administration
ment over its refugee re- and English language train- around most subjects," Lee to provide a safe harbor
settlement program and ing. said. "You agree to dis- for those who are fleeing
legislative leaders hoped More than 2,000 refugees agree and move forward. religious persecution and
Lee would accept Trump's resettled in Tennessee dur- But I think it's the right deci- violent conflict is the right
offer. ing the 2016 budget year. sion and we're moving for- decision," Lee wrote.
"The United States and Ten- That number dropped to ward on it." Holly Johnson, who coor-
nessee have always been 478 in 2018 under Trump Lee succeeded Haslam in dinates the Tennessee Of-
... a shining beacon of free- and and has hit 692 in 2019. January after a rough GOP fice for Refugees within the
dom and opportunity for The Tennessee Legislature's primary in which he and his Catholic Charities, said em-
the persecuted and op- fight against the refugee opponents echoed Trump's ployers are "chasing down
pressed, particularly those program was sparked in tough talk on immigration. resettlement agencies be-
suffering religious persecu- part by fears of refugees He wrote Wednesday that cause they know refugees
tion," Lee said in a state- following terrorist attacks in he supports the lawsuit ef- work hard, they show up,
ment. "My administration Paris and San Bernardino, fort, saying it seeks to "bind they'll work overtime, they
has worked extensively to California, in 2015. and require the federal call when they're out," par-
determine the best out- At the time, former Republi- government to consult with ticularly during Tennessee's
come for Tennessee, and I can Gov. Bill Haslam urged the states." time of low unemployment.
will consent to working with the federal government Lee went to great lengths Multiple big local govern-
President Trump and his ad- to halt the settlement of to tout his Christian faith ments made it known that
ministration to responsibly Syrian refugees in Tennes- while campaigning. Hun- they wanted to keep ac-
resettle refugees." see unless state agencies dreds of evangelicals ap- cepting refugees, includ-
Lee wrote that his decision could get involved in the pealed to Lee's faith in a ing Nashville, Knoxville,
is initially valid for a year. vetting process. Haslam letter this month. In a let- Chattanooga and Shelby
So far, no states have said later said he didn't think ter Wednesday to McNally County, which includes
they plan to reject refu- that people who are trying and Sexton, Lee said he's Memphis. Trump's order lets
gees. About half the states to do the country harm are visited refugee camps on local governments decide
have given written consent coming in under a refugee multiple continents and on refugee resettlement if
to continue resettling refu- program process that takes has helped refugees in Ten- the state opts in.q
gees to date. between 18 months and
In September, Trump three years.
slashed the number of refu- Attorney General Herbert
gees allowed into the U.S. Slatery declined the Re-
and authorized state and publican-led legislature's
local governments to re- request to sue the federal
fuse to accept them. An government over refugee
executive order says that if resettlement, but lawmak-
a state or a locality has not ers forged ahead with the
consented to receive refu- help of a third-party legal
gees under the State De- outfit. The lawsuit has been
partment's Reception and rejected up to the 6th U.S.
Placement Program, then Circuit Court of Appeals.
refugees should not be re- It's unclear whether they'll
settled within the state or try to get the U.S. Supreme
locality unless the secretary Court to weigh in.
of state decides otherwise. House Speaker Cameron
Some resettlement groups Sexton and Senate Speak-
have sued to block Trump's er Randy McNally said in a
order. joint statement that they
Tennessee stopped partici- would've preferred to "hit