According to FOX 59, the refugee family bound for IN had to be quickly diverted this week after Indiana Gov. Mike Pence banned refugees from entering the state.
Advertisement
Less than a day before the family was scheduled to arrive, the head of Indiana’s division of family resources sent a letter to Carleen Miller, the executive director of Exodus Refugee Immigration in Indianapolis on Tuesday, saying that the state was seeking to have the arrival of the Syrian family and all future Syrian arrivals “suspended or redirected to another state that is willing to accept Syrian placements”, The NY Times reported.
George said the governors choosing to suspend the acceptance of Syrian refugees plays into the terrorist’s hands. Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, or IRIS, in New Haven has been resettling refugees in the state for 33 years.
George said many Syrian refugees have experience the level of violence witnessed in Paris.
Puglia said the administration is awaiting guidance from federal agencies on their screening measures.
“With that said, if refugees – many who are children fleeing a horrific, war-torn country – seek and are granted asylum after a rigorous security process, we should and will welcome them in CT”, Puglia said in the statement. “The recent decision to allow refugees from Syria into CT, while well intentioned, could potentially threaten the security of our residents”. “Governor Pence believes the safety and security of Hoosiers is his top priority and for that reason, the Governor ordered the resettlement program to be put on hold”. Many refugees in European countries have not been screened thoroughly, due in part to the overwhelming number of people trying to leave Syria. In addition, the Refugee Act of 1980 gives the president authority to admit refugees who face “persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion” into the United States, especially when there is an “unforeseen emergency refugee situation”.
George said it can take a refugee anywhere from two to four years before he or she is allowed to come into an American community. “I told them that people in the United States are generous and good people but sometimes things happen elsewhere that cause people to forget about their generosity, forget about their native warmth and spirit”.
George said there are about 40 Syrian refugees and their families living in CT.
The family of three had been waiting in Jordan for three years to be approved for immigration to the U.S. This family is so far the first to be redirected from Indiana.
Advertisement
Malloy said he had met with the family in New Haven, where they have settled.
