TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey has taken over the resettlement of refugees within the state from the federal government, reversing a 2016 policy by former Gov. Chris Christie.
Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson said in a statement Thursday that the state resumed the services on Tuesday.
Johnson says the decision comes after the Trump administration announced plans to cut federal refugee admissions to 18,000 down from a high of 111,000 two years ago.
She says the federal policy is wrong and “devastating for refugees desperate for safety.”
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced his intention to overturn his Republican predecessor’s decision on resettlement on July 4.
Murphy’s administration says the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Human Services are also developing an Office of New Americans, which would focus on immigrant and refugee integration.
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