Houston: Greg Abbott, the Republican Governor of Texas, has said that the state would not accept new refugees under President Donald Trump's resettlement programme, a media report said on Saturday. In a letter to the State Department on Friday, Abbott said that Texas had done "more than its share in assisting the refugee resettlement process", and argued that the state should focus on "those who are already here, including refugees, migrants, and the homeless", the report said.

On that basis, Abbott said he cannot consent to initial refugee resettlement in 2020, but added that the decision "does not deny any refugee access" to the US. Refugees who are already settled in other states, Abbott said, would be allowed to move to Texas if they choose.