Texas Attorney General and Tea Party favorite Ken Paxton has failed in another frivolous lawsuit. Paxton sued the federal government seeking to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Texas. Yes, that’s what it has come down to for the Tea Party fanatics – let’s keep refugees out of our state because . . . well, just because.
Paxton’s suit claimed the Obama administration had not adequately consulted with states before placing refugees in Texas. Not surprisingly, U.S. District Judge David Godbey ruled that the state has no role in the resettlement of refugees handled by the federal government which has authority over immigration policy. And in a dope slap to Paxton, Godbey also found the state had failed to present plausible evidence that Syrian refugees pose an imminent risk. Paxton apparently forgot about something called the Supremacy Clause and another detail of the Constitution which vests authority over foreign affairs largely in the hands of the Executive. But the Constitution is only important when it supposedly supports Paxton’s Tea Party agenda.
For his part, Paxton said that he was “disappointed with the court’s determination that Texas cannot hold the federal government accountable to consult with us before resettling refugees here.” He said he is considering options to “guarantee the safety of Texans from domestic and foreign threats.” Yes, Ken will protect us from the predatory families that are being resettled in Texas. Good luck with that Ken.