Texas became the first state to sue the federal government to halt the settlement of Syrian refugees, citing security concerns following deadly attacks on Paris on Nov. 13.
- Nov. 17: Abbott asks the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Department of Public Safety to implement his directive to stop accepting Syrian refugees and to notify nonprofit refugee aid agencies, such as the International Rescue Committee.
- Nov. 19: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, in a letter to IRC, demands information about the group's resettlement plans, instructs it to immediately discontinue any resettlement in Texas and informs it that the agency "will refuse to cooperate with the resettlement of any Syrian refugees in Texas."
Court documents also indicate that 21 Syrian refugees were expected to arrive next week, including six children to join relatives already living in Texas, a family of eight and a 26-year-old woman whose mother lives in the Houston area.