INDIANAPOLIS —Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is now facing legal backlash for suspending efforts to resettle Syrian refugees in the state.
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Pence and the secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration on behalf of a local non-profit that settles refugees.
"These are people the U.S. hand picks to be resettled here they don't pick everyone who wants to be resettled in the U.S.,” said Carleen Miller, the executive director of Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc. “Less than 1 percent of refugees ever get resettled in a third country."
The lawsuit seeks to stop the governor's actions, saying they violate the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
Meanwhile, Spokeswoman Kara Brooks from Gov. Pence's office responded Tuesday saying he is standing by his decision,
The governor is confident he has the authority to suspend the state's participation in the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Indiana and will not reverse course until the Administration and Congress take action to pause this program and implement measures necessary to address security gaps acknowledged by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.
The governor believes that public safety is not a partisan issue. A bipartisan majority of governors have taken similar actions. Last week, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to pause the entry of Syrian refugees until proper security screening measures are implemented.
The governor believes that caution and compassion are not mutually exclusive. We can take measures to ensure the security of our nation even while we continue to extend support and refuge to people around the world fleeing from the ravages of hardship and war.
Last week, a Syrian family bound for Indiana was diverted to Connecticut where Gov. Dan Malloy welcomed the married couple and their 5-year-old son with open arms.
Malloy said Connecticut is focused on making sure the federal government is following security protocols.
He also gave his thoughts on the ACLU’s lawsuit against Pence.
"The ACLU believes it has a cause of action," said Malloy. "In essence, they are trying to deny people who are in the United States the ability to be in their state. That's a tough argument to make."