Tennessee Senate Approves Lawsuit To Block Refugee Resettlement As An ‘Unfunded Mandate’

Tennessee senators are calling on the state’s attorney general to sue the federal government over refugee resettlement.

The state Senate voted overwhelmingly Monday to ask Tennessee’s top lawyer to file a lawsuit challenging the refugee program as an “unfunded mandate.”

Supporters of the lawsuit include state Sen. Mark Green, R-Clarksville. He says many Tennesseans would like to help refugees from war-torn countries like Syria, but lawmakers have to consider safety.

“Our federal government has, quite frankly, failed to protect us,” he said. “It’s very clear — evidence has shown  — that in certain groups of these refugees, people that want to do harm to us are infiltrating this program.”

Critics of the resolution, including the Tennessee Democratic Party and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, called the measure “shameful.” They say there’s no evidence of terrorists coming to the United States as refugees, and they argue that, in the long run, refugees contribute more to Tennessee’s economy than they cost to resettle.

House lawmakers have not yet considered the resolution.