Catholic archdiocese settles Syrian family in Ind. over governor's objection

INDIANAPOLIS — ​The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has settled a Syrian family in Indianapolis despite Gov. Mike Pence's announcement that he would halt the settlement of refugees here.

Catholic Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin announced Tuesday that a family arrived safely in Indianapolis on Monday night.

Pence has not changed his stance on halting refugee settlement here after the Paris terror attacks in November, despite questions about whether he had the constitutional authority to do so.

The governor's office Tuesday morning released a statement that said the state will continue to suspend its involvement in the resettlement "until the federal government takes action to address the concerns raised about this program.”

Non-profit organizations handle the resettlement, bolstered by federal funds given to the state for employment training, English language classes and case management services.

Tobin said he met with Pence last week about the family, and explained that they were fleeing violence in their home country.

"I listened to the governor's concerns regarding security and prayerfully considered his request that we defer from welcoming them until Congress had approved new legislation regarding immigrants and refugees," Tobin said in a statement. "I informed the governor prior to the family’s arrival that I had asked the staff of Catholic Charities to receive this husband, wife and their two small children as planned."

Pence "respectfully disagrees" with Catholic Charities, the statement said. It cited a statement from Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, who said the refugee program is vulnerable to extremists.

“Despite these facts, the Administration continues to ignore calls from governors of both parties, as well as a bipartisan majority in the U.S. House, to pause and strengthen the program," the statement said.

Pence last month directed the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to "suspend" resettlement of Syrian refugees until he is satisfied that the federal government has put in place proper security measures to screen out potential terrorists.

His decision came after reports that one of the perpetrators of the Paris terrorist attacks may have gotten to France by posing as a refugee from Syria.

The Obama administration has tried to assure Pence and other governors who have raised objections that the 18- to 24-month vetting process for refugees is stringent. But Pence argues the administration still hasn’t addressed the fact that the heads of the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have said they have less information about refugees from Syrian than those from Iraq.

The Catholic Church has received offers of private donations to make up for the state benefits Pence sought to cut off

The state asked another resettlement organization, Exodus Refugee Immigration, to redirect a Syrian family set to arrive last month. The refugees went to Connecticut.

But the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has since filed a federal lawsuit against Pence on behalf of Exodus.

While non-profit organizations handle the resettlement, the state receives money from the federal government for employment training, English language classes, and case management services for refugees. The state also administers benefits, such as Medicaid, cash assistance and food stamps.

In a letter sent to states last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement pointed out that the Refugee Act of 1980 requires states to provide assistance to refugees without regard to nationality. And the Civil Rights Act prohibits states from denying federally funded benefits such as Medicaid or cash welfare assistance to eligible refugees.

But a spokeswoman for the Justice Department declined to comment last week on Pence’s action “or any action by specific governors to prevent Syrian refugee resettlement.”

“That said, the Department of Justice takes very seriously its responsibilities to ensure that laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of national origin are appropriately enforced,” said spokeswoman Nicole Navas.

At least 24 governors have made some efforts to stop refugees.

The federal government last week moved forward with plans to relocate two Syrian refugee families in Texas this week despite a lawsuit seeking to halt the resettlement. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argues that the Refugee Act of 1980 requires the federal government to consult with governors and mayors before relocating refugees to their states and cities.

The Justice Department says Texas is trying to turn those consultations "into an unwarranted veto power over individual federal refugee resettlement decisions."

Texas has already accepted 243 refugees since 2011, the Justice Department says, and the state of Texas "does not explain how these specific refugees — mostly children, their parents, and in one case their grandparents — pose a danger to anyone anywhere, let alone to the State of Texas."

Contributing: Maureen Groppe and Gregory Korte, Paste BN. Follow Madeline Buckley on Twitter: @Mabuckley88