Eighteen Indiana human rights, faith, and legal service organizations, as well as clinics based at Indiana University McKinney School of Law and Valparaiso University Law School, have sent a letter to Indiana Governor Mike Pence to express support for the U.S. refugee resettlement program and encourage him to reverse his rhetoric on Syrian refugees.
“As proud Hoosiers, we value compassion and believe no one should live in fear,” the letter states. “Your rejection of Syrian refugees is grounded in fear, not fact, and is inconsistent with who we are as a country.”
The organizations represent decades of experience providing social services and legal aid to refugees who are resettled in Indiana by the Department of State following rigorous security checks. One of the signatories, resettlement agency Exodus Refugee Immigration, has filed a lawsuit against Governor Pence and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration after the organization was forced last week to divert a Syrian family who had waited three years to resettle in Indianapolis. About 40 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Indiana since 2010, and the federal government has approved 19 other Syrians to be resettled in Indiana over the next few months.
The letter explains that refugees undergo the most stringent security and screening measures of any group seeking to enter the United States, a process that spans multiple federal agencies and takes 18-24 months.
“When refugees arrive in Indiana, they have escaped unimaginable violence and spent years in limbo, praying for safety,” said attorney Lisa Koop, who manges the National Immigrant Justice Center’s Goshen, Indiana, office. “They are so grateful when they finally are able to put down roots again and rebuild their lives, and Hoosiers should take pride in the part we play to reunite families and uphold America’s promise as safe harbor to those fleeing tyranny. Excluding Syrian families who are fleeing a horrific civil war is un-American.”
The letter was signed by the following organizations:
Assembly Mennonite Church (Goshen, IN)
Bienvenido Community Solutions, LLC
Center for Legal Justice
Central District Conference of MC USA
Durham | Immigration Law
Eighth Street Mennonite Church
Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc.
Health and Human Rights Clinic, Indiana University McKinney School of Law
Hively Avenue Mennonite Church
Immigrant Welcome Center
Indiana Chapter, American Immigration Lawyers Association
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
La Casa de Amistad
M.I.G.H.T (Mass Incarceration and Geo Halt Team)
Mennonite Central Committee of Great Lakes Region
National Immigrant Justice Center
North Central Indiana AFL-CIO Council
Valparaiso University Law School Immigration Clinic