Sen. Cruz Introduces the State Refugee Security Act of 2015
Empowers the states to ensure the safety and security of their citizens by blocking the resettlement of refugees within their borders
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced the State Refugee Security Act of 2015 (S. 2363) at a press conference in the U.S. Capitol where he was joined by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The State Refugee Security Act will amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit the governor of a state to reject the resettlement of a refugee in that state unless there is adequate assurance that the refugee does not present a security risk.
“This legislation will protect the authority of the states and the authority of the governors to keep their citizens safe. Some 30 governors across the country have stood together with Gov. Abbott – standing together as one saying their obligation is to protect the safety and security of the citizens of Texas and the citizens of each of the states that have elected those governors. Those officials are doing their jobs. I applaud them and Gov. Abbott for honoring their commitments to the men and women who elected them,” Sen. Cruz said. “It is my hope that Congress will take up and pass into law the legislation that I introduced today that gives the governors the ability to opt out if the federal government is not sufficiently vetting refugees.”
Specifically, Sen. Cruz’s legislation will require the federal government to notify a state at least 21 days before a refugee is resettled there. Also, it prohibits the resettlement of a refugee in a state if the governor certifies that the federal government has failed to provide adequate assurance that the refugee does not present a security risk to the state.
The full text of Sen. Cruz’s State Refugee Security Act of 2015 can be found here and video of Sen. Cruz’s and Gov. Abbott’s press conference is available here.
###
