This post has been updated.
The Georgia attorney general on Wednesday issued a formal opinion that Georgia cannot legally block Syrian refugees from settling in the state, even though Gov. Nathan Deal (R) has pushed to keep refugees from the war-torn country from receiving benefits like food stamps.
Attorney General Sam Olens wrote that he is “unaware of any law or agreement that would permit a state to carve out refugees from particular countries from participation in the refugee resettlement program, no matter how well-intended or justified the desire to carve out such refugees might be,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Accordingly, it is my official opinion that both federal law and the State’s agreement to act as the state refugee resettlement coordinator prevent the State from denying federally-funded benefits to Syrian refugees lawfully admitted into the United States,” Olens continued in the opinion, according to the Journal-Constitution.
Olens had previously indicated he did not believe that the state was on strong legal ground in refusing to help resettle Syrian refugees.
Deal in November ordered state agencies not to assist with the resettlement of Syrian refugees, and the state Department of Human Services directed employees not to process the applications of Syrian refugees for benefits like food stamps.
The Department of Human Services then confirmed in December that the agency would not process the application for food stamps submitted by a Syrian refugee family that had recently arrived in the state.
A spokesman for Deal told the Journal-Constitution that the governor’s office is reviewing Olens’ opinion.
The federal government has told Georgia officials that the Department of Human Services cannot block Syrian refugees from receiving food stamps, but the agency said it would continue to follow the governor’s orders.
