Judge Denies Texas Bid to Block Refugees

A U.S. judge has rejected a second request by Texas to block the federal government from resettling refugees in the state. On Monday, U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request for a preliminary injunction to bar Syrian refugees from entering the state, ruling that Texas has not shown it would suffer irreparable harm. Godbey rejected the state’s request for a temporary restraining order against the arrival of two Syrian families in December, saying the evidence presented was “largely speculative hearsay.” The decision is a major blow to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who vowed to block the resettlement of Syrians in the wake of the Paris attacks. Abbott is one of more than 30 governors who are challenging the federal government to block the resettlement of Syrians into their states.