Texas cannot block the federal government from relocating Syrian refugees to the state, a federal judge ruled.
The decision marked a loss for GOP Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who led the state’s health and human services commission in efforts to sue the Obama administration over its refugee resettlement program.
U.S. District Judge David Godbey dismissed the Texas lawsuit Wednesday against the federal government and a nonprofit refugee resettlement agency. Godbey ruled that the state did not have grounds to sue and failed to provide a "plausible claim" that the agency, the International Rescue Committee, breached its contract, the Washington Post reported.
More than 200 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Texas since the state brought the lawsuit in December, according to the Refugee Processing Center.
The state filed the suit in December after the November terrorist attacks in Paris killed 130 people. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had ordered nonprofit groups to suspend the resettlement of refugees from Syria. The federal government, which funds refugee resettlement, told the state it did not have the authority to stop the settlement of Syrian refugees, and the nonprofit agency continued its planned resettlements.
"I am disappointed with the court’s determination that Texas cannot hold the federal government accountable to consult with us before resettling refugees here," Paxton said in a statement.
He vowed to assess the state’s options "moving forward."
Nearly 30 other states attempted to implement similar bans on Syrian refugees in the wake of the attacks, according to ABC News.
Godbey argued in his ruling Wednesday that Texas did not have authority over resettlements issued by the federal government, likely setting precedent for states pursuing similar restrictions.