Texas’ big move to bar any Syrian refugees has virtually collapsed in a heap of big talk, weak legal arguments, and bravado. It’s remarkable how quickly the effort basically disintegrated.
On Friday, Texas withdrew its request for a temporary restraining order that would immediately blocking any further resettlements in the state, and today the federal court hearing Texas’ case indicated a decision on the remaining issues in the case isn’t expected this week. Meanwhile, a dozen Syrian refugees were expected to arrive in the Houston and Dallas areas today. No confirmation yet on whether they’ve actually touched down on sacred Texas soil.
The big winner — in addition to the refugees themselves and common sense — is the International Rescue Committee which pushed ahead with its resettlement efforts as if this was just another of the thousands of resettlements that it has done over the years. All of Texas’ swagger and threats aside, IRC called the bluff. And it won.
