ACLU Fights for the Resettlement of Syrian Refugees
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence takes a question during a news conference, Tuesday, March 31, 2015, in Indianapolis. Republicans hoped to avoid a debate over social issues heading into the next presidential contest. Yet the backlash over a so-called religious freedom law in Indiana is highlighting the partys overwhelming opposition to same-sex marriage and forcing the GOPs leading presidential contenders to weigh in. “Its been a tough week,” Pence said at the news conference. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
As a result of a civil war going on in Syria, thousands of Syrians are leaving their war-torn home country for a better life. Over the last few months, there has been controversy over the treatment and resettlement of refugees provoked by mass migration of fleeing Syrians. Some refugees have been relocated in Europe while others were sent to the United States.
After the terrorist attacks in Paris, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana directed “all state agencies to suspend the resettlement of additional Syrian refugees in the state of Indiana pending assurances from the federal government that proper security measures have been achieved.”
The ACLU has proceeded to file a lawsuit against Governor Pence, “challenging his efforts to block Syrian refugees from resettling within his state’s borders.” The organization argues Pence is violating the Constitution by attempting to regulate immigration, a power only within the jurisdiction of the federal government. Pence is also accused of violating the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Pence is not the only governor denying assistance to Syrian refugees. Governors from more than half of the 50 states are barring Syrian refugee admittance. These states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. However, the ACLU chose to file a lawsuit against Indiana first, “partially because Pence’s refugee policies have already had an effect on the ground.”
About 40 Syrian refugees have resettled in the state since 2010, according to the Family and Social Services Administration, which oversees refugee resettlement. However, a family of three Syrian refugees that was supposed to arrive in Indiana last week was redirected to Connecticut after Pence’s anti-refugee announcement.
With the United States “slated to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees within the next year,” the ACLU says that more lawsuits could be underway.
