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Pence still concerned about Syrian refugee security after White House letter

By Network Indiana and Stephanie Wiechmann | Published on in Uncategorized

Indiana Governor Mike Pence says a letter from staff at the White House offering more information on Syrian refugees is not enough to convince him to resettle refugees in the Hoosier state.

A letter written by White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and sent to 34 governors who restricted refugee resettlement offered more information on those seeking new homes. Updates to governors were offered monthly and would include nationalities, age ranges, and genders of refugees – but no specific identifying information. The caveat – updates would only be given to Pence if refugees were resettled in Indiana.

Pence says he appreciates the information, but he still considers security to be at risk and wants the US to suspend Syrian refugee settlements altogether until changes are made.

Pence says Syria was a hotbed of terrorism even before the country’s civil war and the rise of ISIS. He says the difficulty of getting good information from within Syria means even the current refugee vetting process needs to be reviewed.