MLA Statement on Exclusion of Refugees
Given its commitment to universal academic and educational freedom, which can only be enjoyed under broad conditions of personal and collective health, safety, and access to social, political, economic, and educational institutions, the MLA condemns the unilateral decision of Governor Greg Abbott to deny refugees from Syria entry to the state of Texas. We equally condemn similar measures undertaken in other states.
We view this act as a form of collective punishment levied upon a desperate population fleeing precisely the terrible forces that the governor rightly condemns. We share the sentiments of the UN Human Rights Commission: "A world that welcomes Syrians can help defeat extremism. But a world that rejects Syrians, and especially Muslim refugees, will just feed into their propaganda."