But the family,
which has spent the past three years in a Jordanian refugee camp, may
ultimately be placed in another state if Indiana is perceived as "hostile"
or "unwelcoming," Archdiocese of Indianapolis spokesman Greg Otolski said
Tuesday.
"These families
are already under an incredible amount of stress," Otolski said of the
family's anticipated arrival later this month. "What we don't want to do
is traumatize these people any more than they have already been
traumatized."
The debate over
settling Syrian refugees in Indiana puts Pence, who frequently touts his
Christian faith and has cultivated a reputation as a defender of religious
values, in the awkward spot of being at odds with a major faith-based
organization.
Pence spokesman
Matt Lloyd said the governor has not shifted his stance and blamed the
administration of President Barack Obama for failing to "provide adequate
security and background information to governors across the country."
"The Obama
Administration ... continues to ignore the concerns raised about the
program," Lloyd said in a statement.
More than half of
U.S. states, most with Republican governors and Indiana included, have
objected to the arrival of the Syrian immigrants without assurances of
property security measures in place following the deadly attacks in Paris.
The Obama administration has said the vetting process for refugee
resettlements is thorough and that states lack legal authority to block
the funding.
But the Indiana
Family and Social Services Administration sent letters last month to
Exodus Refugee Immigration in Indianapolis and Catholic Charities
Indianapolis, saying plans to accept two Syrian families should be halted.
One Syrian family was rerouted to Connecticut as a result.
The American
Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sued Pence last month, asking a federal
judge to block the governor's order.
Indianapolis
Archbishop Joseph Tobin has publicly called for the family of four to be
settled in the Indianapolis area, though Otolski says the archdiocese
wants to focus on the plight of the refugees and avoid an overtly
political debate.
Otolski said the
family underwent an intense two-year vetting process, and noted that they
are "fleeing the same kind of violence from terrorists that all of us are
trying to avoid." Thus far, state welfare officials have been "friendly"
in conversations about moving forward with plans to settle the family,
Otolski said, but a decision has not yet been reached.
"Nobody here
should have any concerns that this family of a husband and wife and two
small children pose any kind of danger," he said.
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