The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum and Holocaust Museum Houston are disappointed to learn that Texas has become the first state to opt out of the federal refugee resettlement program.

Refugees accepted for resettlement in the United States have been forced to leave their homelands and have been vetted at multiple levels, in a process that can take years. They have met the legal standards required by the U.S. for resettlement.

As Museums dedicated to teaching the history and lessons of the Holocaust, we believe it is our duty to stand up and speak out strongly in favor of continuing to resettle refugees in Texas. If more Americans had spoken out during the 1930s and early 1940s in favor of admitting European Jewish refugees, many lives could have been saved.

Just as we continue to express our deep concern over the resurgence of virulent antisemitism by reminding people of the connections to the history of the Holocaust, so too, we disagree with turning our backs on refugees arriving on our shores after suffering the ravages of war and religious tyranny.

To learn more about the mission of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum please visit DHHRM.org to learn more about Holocaust Museum Houston please visit www.hmh.org.

– Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, Mary Pat Higgins and Frank Risch
– Holocaust Museum Houston, Dr. Kelly Zuniga