Syrian refugees arrive in Houston, Dallas amid political fight
Syrian refugees arrive in Houston, Dallas amid political fight
By Brian M. Rosenthal
Updated 3:01 pm, Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Two families of Syrian refugees began building lives in Texas on Tuesday after being given homes in Houston and Dallas in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials.
In Houston, a Syrian man, his wife and their four children received "a warm and compassionate Texas welcome" after arriving Monday, according a statement by the Refugee Services of Texas, which is assisting that family.
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The nonprofit declined to provide any more information, citing security concerns.
The refugees placed in Dallas were more open to attention, scheduling a news conference for Wednesday to show that "they are not a threat but rather a simple family."
"We were forced to leave our homes, our families and friends and our jobs four years ago," said Faez Al Sharaa, a relative of the family who himself is a Syrian refugee who has been here since February. "We are grateful to the president and to the people of America for allowing us to fulfill our dream of living in a democracy."
The new group of arrivals is headed by Tammam Al Sharaa, Faez's half brother, who was a lawyer in Daraa Homs, Syria, according to the family. He is joined by his wife, their 4-year-old daughter, and 7-year-old son and Tammam's parents.
They arrived in the United States last Thursday, but were not immediately taken to Texas due to a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to block their entry.
Paxton since has withdrawn his request for an emergency order, although Abbott has maintained his opposition to Syrian refugees due to security concerns.
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The travel plans changed again at the last minute, according to Anne Marie Weiss-Armush of DFW International, which is helping with the move. Instead of flying to Dallas, the family went to Austin and then was driven to Dallas.
The drama forced Faez Al Sharaa to miss almost two weeks of work at Wal-Mart, Weiss-Armush said.
By Tuesday, however, the family was being set up in an apartment with furniture and other household items that have been donated by the community.
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Lucy Carrigan, a spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee, which is coordinating the family's move, confirmed the refugees had arrived.
"They are in Dallas, settling in, very happy to be here," Carrigan said.
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