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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 11 January 2020
Texas governor to reject new refugees, first under Trump

By NOMAAN MERCHANT sent from state and local
Associated Press officials in any jurisdiction
HOUSTON (AP) — Texas will where they want to help
no longer accept the reset- resettle refugees beyond
tlement of new refugees, June 2020. Trump has al-
becoming the first state ready slashed the number
known to do so under a re- of refugees allowed into
cent Trump administration the country for the 2020 fis-
order, Gov. Greg Abbott cal year to a historic low of
said Friday. 18,000. About 30,000 refu-
Abbott's announcement gees were resettled in the
could have major implica- U.S. during the previous fis-
tions for refugees coming cal year.
to the United States. Texas Governors in 42 other states
has large refugee popula- have said they will con-
tions in several of its cities sent to allowing in more
and has long been a lead- refugees, according to the
er in settling refugees, tak- Lutheran Immigration and
ing in more than any other Refugee Service, which
state during the 2018 gov- works with local agencies
ernmental fiscal year, ac- throughout the U.S. to re-
cording to the United Na- settle refugees. The gover-
tions High Commissioner for nors who haven't chimed in
Refugees. In this Aug. 7, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump and Melania Trump greet Texas Gov. Greg are all Republicans and are
Since the 2002 fiscal year, Abbott after arriving in El Paso, Texas. from Alabama, Georgia,
Texas has resettled an es- Associated Press Florida, Mississippi, South
timated 88,300 refugees, Carolina, and Wyoming.
second only to California, ganizations should instead er Houston, predicted that very sad news, and honest- Fierce debates have oc-
according to the Pew Re- focus on "those who are some refugees with long- ly, this is not the Texas that I curred in several parts
search Center. already here, including standing plans to come to know." of the country, including
In a letter released Friday, refugees, migrants, and the Texas would have flights Texas Democratic Party North Dakota and Tennes-
Abbott wrote that Texas homeless — indeed, all Tex- rescheduled or delayed. Al spokesman Abhi Rahman see, over whether to opt
"has been left by Congress ans." Sudani settled in Houston also criticized Abbott, say- into refugee resettlement
to deal with disproportion- It wasn't clear how Abbott's from Iraq in 2009 and now ing refugees "are not politi- under the executive order.
ate migration issues result- letter might affect any works to resettle other refu- cal pawns and bargaining Many Republican gover-
ing from a broken federal pending refugee cases. gees. chips to advance anti-im- nors have been caught
immigration system." He Refugee groups sharply "You can imagine the mes- migrant policies." between immigration hard-
added that Texas has done criticized the Republican sage that this decision will President Donald Trump liners and some Christian
"more than its share." governor. Ali Al Sudani, send to them and to their announced in September evangelicals who believe
Abbott argued that the chief programs officer of In- families," Al Sudani said. that resettlement agen- helping refugees is a moral
state and its non-profit or- terfaith Ministries for Great- "It's very disappointing and cies must get written con- obligation. q

MacDill AFB on brief lockdown

after report of armed suspect

ing local law enforcement according to St. Petersburg hammed Alshamrani, a
in searching for the sus- police. The man's name 21-year-old Saudi Air Force
pect, Lt. Brandon Hanner, wasn't immediately re- officer, killed three U.S. sail-
a spokesman for MacDill leased. ors and injured eight other
said. During the lockdown, traf- people Dec. 6 at Naval Air
Police in nearby St. Pe- fic was at a standstill on nu- Station Pensacola.
tersburg told news outlets merous roads around the "We had a pretty dynamic
This image still provided by WFTS-TV shows traffic near the Mac- the suspect was initially base, which is near down- situation this morning when
Dill Air Force base in Tampa, Fla., on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. involved in a domestic town Tampa, news outlets we had to put the base on
Associated Press dispute at an apartment reported. MacDill is the lockdown," 6th Air Mobil-
where his ex-girlfriend lives headquarters for U.S. Cen- ity Wing commander Col.
By FREIDA FRISARO news release said. MacDill with her boyfriend. The man tral Command and U.S. Stephen Snelson said in a
Associated Press first responders were on the showed up there early Fri- Special Operations Com- Facebook message. "We
MIAMI (AP) — MacDill Air scene and isolated the re- day and vandalized a car mand. all took this very seriously
Force Base in Tampa, Flori- sponse to an area outside belonging to the woman's MacDill is the home of the and I know it may have
da, was briefly put on lock- one of the base's gates. boyfriend and damaged 6th Air Refueling Wing. been inconvenient for a
down Friday morning after All other gates to the base their apartment door. There are more than 15,000 lot of folks during the morn-
a report of an armed sus- were reopened around 8 Investigators notified base military personnel at the ing commute, but when it
pect outside the base. a.m. No shots were fired on officials that they thought base. A large number of comes to the safety of our
The base was put on lock- the base and there were the man was on or near military personnel and their servicemembers, as well
down after local authorities no injuries to any MacDill MacDill. The suspect was families live on the base in as our families, we're go-
notified the base there was employees, the news re- taken into custody around military housing. ing to always go with the
an armed suspect near lease said. 9 a.m. in Hernando County, Friday's lockdown came better approach and be
one of the base's gates, a Base officials were assist- which is north of Tampa, a month after 2nd Lt. Mo- conservative."q