November 23, 2015 5:09 PM

Interfaith group accuses state of violation federal immigration law

The legal question raised by the state’s position is what role the state has in keeping or releasing immigrant-related funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The state’s largest coalition of interfaith organizations has accused the Health and Human Services Commission of violating federal law as it moves to block the resettlement of Syrian refugees.

Texas Impact sent a letter to Executive Commissioner Chris Traylor this morning with its interpretation of the section of federal law being cited in a letter Traylor sent to voluntary refugee resettlement organizations last week.

“We request in the strongest terms that HHSC convene a meeting with representatives of the organizations that received the letter, the leaders of their respective faith traditions, their attorneys, and the appropriate federal authorities to clarify HHSC’s authority to issue such a directive and the meeting of the statement that the agency’s review of the Refugee Resettlement State Plan ‘could result in an amendment to your local contract,’” wrote Bee Moorhead in a letter dated Nov. 20.

By Kimberly Reeves