Post by Logan on Jun 20, 2016 4:26:46 GMT -6
Legislators challenge refugee resettlement on public health grounds
NASHVILLE — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Texas against resettlement of Syrian refugees within the state's borders as some Tennessee lawmakers contend health concerns show the need for similar legal action as mandated by the Legislature in April.
"This Texas decision is a strong rebuke of efforts to block refugee resettlement," said Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee in an email.
"It sends the clear message to other states that such attempts are not only un-American, they are contrary to the law and will fail in court. We continue to urge the state of Tennessee not to engage in litigation that contradicts our values and violates the law of the land," she said.
State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, on the other hand, said a Breitbart News report declaring that 27 percent of refugees sent to Tennessee between 2011 and 2015 tested positive for latent tuberculosis infection shows a new justification for Tennessee filing a lawsuit over refugee resettlement in Tennessee.
Read more: www.knoxnews.com/news/politics/legislators-challenge-refugee-resettlement-on-public-health-grounds-35a811e3-cf1d-4759-e053-0100007f-383569751.html
NASHVILLE — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Texas against resettlement of Syrian refugees within the state's borders as some Tennessee lawmakers contend health concerns show the need for similar legal action as mandated by the Legislature in April.
"This Texas decision is a strong rebuke of efforts to block refugee resettlement," said Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee in an email.
"It sends the clear message to other states that such attempts are not only un-American, they are contrary to the law and will fail in court. We continue to urge the state of Tennessee not to engage in litigation that contradicts our values and violates the law of the land," she said.
State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, on the other hand, said a Breitbart News report declaring that 27 percent of refugees sent to Tennessee between 2011 and 2015 tested positive for latent tuberculosis infection shows a new justification for Tennessee filing a lawsuit over refugee resettlement in Tennessee.
Read more: www.knoxnews.com/news/politics/legislators-challenge-refugee-resettlement-on-public-health-grounds-35a811e3-cf1d-4759-e053-0100007f-383569751.html