Texas withdrew on Friday its request to the federal U.S. government not to push through with its plan to resettle 21 Syrian refugees in the state.
Texas reversed its call after the U.S. government gave the requested information to state authorities about the group of refugees who were already in the U.S.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission earlier filed on Dec. 2 for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to oppose the resettlement of the refugees as part of a U.S. government programme.
Texas' decision to withdraw its request came after the U.S. Justice Department filed papers with a federal court in Dallas that said the state did not have the authority to act on national immigration policy and could not prevent refugees from resettling, reports said.
The International Rescue Committee filed a separate motion at the U.S. District Court in Dallas, saying Texas could not discriminate against refugees based on nationality as this would violate U.S. civil rights laws.
"Texas is not discriminating against all refugees, only Syrian refugees," the International Rescue Committee noted in its filing.
The Americal Civil Liberties Union of Texas also filed a legal response on behalf of the committee.
"Under the U.S. Constitution, no state can unilaterally bar a group of refugees that has been thoroughly vetted and admitted by the federal government. By irrationally blocking Syrian families, based solely on their nationality, Texas is violating federal law, the U.S. Constitution, and our fundamental American values of welcoming and providing refuge for families fleeing violence and war," said ACLU's Cecilia Wang.
The results of the court case could determine if governors in more than 30 states would be able to ban resettlement of Syrian refugees.
The committee plans to relocate a family of six Syrians to Dallas and another six to Houston on Dec. 7. The families arrived in the U.S. this week.
In addition, it plans to resettle eight Syrians in Houston on Dec. 10 together with a 26-year-old woman whose mom lives in the area.
Texas had threatened to cut funding to the relief agency if it went ahead with the relocation. It had requested the court to set Dec. 9 as the date for a hearing.
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had sought to block Syrian refugees in the state after the Paris attacks, saying U.S. security screening is ineffective and could allow people with ties to terrorists to enter the U.S.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the U.S. government is legally obligated to consult with Texas in advance of resettlement.
However, the Justice Department said the Refugee Act of 1980 "does not create any obligation to provide advance consultation regarding individual resettlement decisions."
Since 2011, a total of 243 Syrian refugees have resettled in Texas.
