Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) has backed off his executive order telling state agencies not to cooperate with federal agencies responsible for the resettlement of refugees because that's not actually within his authority.
The turnabout comes days after Attorney General Sam Olens said in a formal opinion that Georgia can’t legally resist the resettlement of Syrian refugees, a decision praised by refugee advocates who threatened a drawn-out legal battle over Georgia’s stance.
Olens wrote that he is “unaware of any law or agreement that would permit a state to carve out refugees from particular countries from participation in the refugee resettlement program, no matter how well-intended or justified the desire to carve out such refugees might be.”
Governor Deal vowed to fight the federal government over the program and said he would defend his executive order in court if necessary, but that's certainly more difficult to do if your own attorney general says you have no legal ground to stand on.
Republican governors across the country and Republicans in Congress have vowed to fight the Obama administration over the resettlement of Syrian refugees, but so far their impotent protests have had no effect.