NBC: Draft Order Plans to Allow States, Cities to Deny Refugees

President Donald Trump and his administration are considering an executive order that would allow state and local jurisdictions to deny allowing refugees who have been approved for resettlement to end up in their communities, according to a draft of the order obtained by NBC News.  

Under the draft order, the federal government "will resettle refugees only where both the relevant state and local have consented, NBC reports in its exclusive. 

An unnamed Department of Homeland Security official said the plans are currently being reviewed by attorneys and others at various government agencies. 

The draft says if the state or local jurisdiction rejects refugees, the federal government will need to find somewhere else to place them, according to the draft order, which provides for an exception in the cases of resettling spouses or children of refugees who have already been settled. 

For years, rights organizations have called for refugees to be settled in places where there are already people from their home countries, to allow for a sense of community.

The report comes on the heels of the Trump administration's new rules unveiled Wednesday to allow officials to detain migrant families indefinitely while U.S. judges make the decision over whether to grant them asylum. 

Administration officials have blamed the Flores Settlement Agreement for the immigration spike, saying the guidelines concerning the detention of minors crossing the border encourages migrants to bring children into the country with them. 

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• Report: Administration Officials Float Plan to Slash Refugee Admissions