Comment on Pence order puts Indiana at center of Syrian refugee issue

By TOM COYNE, Associated Press, San Antonio Express-News: World
Sun, 11/29/2015 - 9:21am

Pence order puts Indiana at center of Syrian refugee issue

(AP) — Indiana could be shaping up as a testing ground for how states deal with Syrian refugees, after Gov. Mike Pence directed state agencies this month to suspend resettlement efforts because of security concerns. Pence put Indiana at the forefront of the issue when his order, in the aftermath of the deadly Paris attacks, led one private agency to divert a family to Connecticut a day before it was to arrive in Indiana. [...] the American Civil Liberties Union in Indiana has asked a federal judge to put a temporary hold on Pence's directive, saying it violates the Constitution. A nonprofit group that helps resettle Syrian refugees in Indiana says it will defy Pence and continue to bring in refugee families when scheduled. In an opinion piece offered to media throughout Indiana, Pence noted that FBI Director James Comey told Congress there were risks associated with Syrian refugees because of challenges in conducting background checks. The Obama administration sent a letter to governors assuring them that refugees who come to the United States through the resettlement program undergo a "rigorous security vetting process," particularly if they are fleeing from Syria. While Pence wrote that the person with the passport found in Paris had "exploited the European Union's refugee system to gain entrance to France," Mayorkas countered that the owner of the passport had "self-proclaimed refugee status," which is different than going through the refugee screening process into the United States.

 

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