We want to convey to the President that we support his efforts concerning immigration and refugee resettlement and believe this suit for declaratory relief is consistent with what would likely be his position regarding states like Tennessee which have withdrawn from the refugee resettlement program but are forced to continue paying costs associated with it said Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris.Other states have sued the federal government over refugee resettlement but on different legal grounds. This case makes Tennessees lawsuit the first of its kind. The lawsuit argues that the federal government has unduly forced states to pay for the refugee resettlement program. The Federal Refugee Act was designed to create a permanent procedure for
the admission of refugees into the United States.
In the lawsuit the Thomas More Law Center points to the fact that Tennessee opted out of the federal refugee resettlement program. Despite opting out refugees have continued to be sent to Tennessee with the federal government appointing Catholic Charities of Tennessee to administer the program.
Operation of the federal refugee resettlement program commandeers Tennessees funds through Medicaid with the threatened loss of nearly $7 billion amounting to 20 of its overall state budget money that is needed to fund services that are critical to the health and welfare of countless Tennesseans the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit asks the court to force the federal government to stop resettling refugees in Tennessee until all costs associated with the settlement are incurred by the federal government.Plaintiffs will suffer significant and irreparable harm unless this Court intervenes the 15-page lawsuit states.
The defendants named in the lawsuit include:- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
- The U.S. Department of State
- The Bureau of Population Refugees & Migration
- The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; and
- The Office of Refugee Resettlement
he states lawsuit is brought by the Thomas More Law Center a Michigan-based legal group that has taken on several conservative legal causes in recent years. The selection of the Thomas More Law Center
came after lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a resolution approving the lawsuit and after Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery declined to initiate the case.
Hedy Weinberg executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee said the legislatures decision is not only very troubling but unjust and wrong.
Joining the lawsuit are State Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon) and State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster).
The Constitution does not allow the Federal Government to force me as the elected representative of the 24th Senate District to implement federal programs while they sit in Washington insulated from the consequences Stevens said in a news release.
Weaver (below left) who helped push the resolution in the House last year said the legislation was among the most important measures shes ever worked on.
The only way we can get back to our constitutional beginnings and the intent birthed by our Founding Fathers is to go and take it back said Weaver.
We are looking forward to linking arms with the Thomas More Law Center for the long haul to regain sovereignty for our great state.
