Many across the state and the U.S., including several Indiana officials, are reacting to President Donald Trump's executive immigration order issued on Friday.
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.)
Sen. Todd Young has neither fully denounced nor supported the order, but instead says he looks forward to further analysis.
"The federal government has no more important responsibility than protecting the American people, and refugees from any country should only be permitted to enter the United States if we are certain they do not represent a threat to our citizens," Young said in a statement. "I look forward to carefully analyzing this temporary executive order and its effects, and working with this new administration and my colleagues in Congress to keep America safe while finally ending the unspeakable suffering of the Syrian people. I want to ensure that the administration's new policy allows Iraqis and Afghanis who faithfully supported our troops and who face threats to their safety -- and who do not represent a terrorist threat -- are able to come to the United States."
Rep. Andre Carson (D- 7th District Ind.)
Rep. Andre Carson, who serves the 7th district of Indiana, issued a statement, but also took to social media to express his disapproval on a personal level.
I'm a father. I'm a Congressman. I am also Muslim. I will work w/ my Democratic colleagues to fight @POTUS' unconstitutional #MuslimBan.
- André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) January 30, 2017
"I applaud the injunction against President Trump's Executive Order and call on the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to respect the ruling," Carson continued in the statement. "Congress will continue to debate immigration and national security, but now is not the time for prolonged partisan negotiations," Carson said in a statement. "Thousands of families are having their lives disrupted by this Executive Order and they need our help now. I am preparing a letter to the Trump Administration to call for a reversal of this Executive Order. My office has spoken with officials from Indianapolis' Refugee Resettlement Agencies and I plan on continuing to work with them to ensure our city can offer a home for those seeking peace and safety."
Carson also joined hundreds of protesters at the Indianapolis International airport in support of refugees and those impacted by the ban.
HAPPENING NOW: speaking out against @POTUS' unconstitutional refugee ban @INDairport. We are all
immigrants. pic.twitter.com/I76mckASZD
- André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) January 29, 2017
State Rep. Larry Bushon (R- 8th District Ind.)
"I support temporarily restricting the admittance of refugees and other travelers from these select areas until a verifiable system is in place to fully and completely vet whether or not the individuals admitted pose a threat to the safety of the American people."
Rep. Larry Bucshon, (R-Terre Haute) says he supports Trump's temporary ban, saying more needs to be done to vet refugees.
"The FBI and other intelligence agencies have made it clear publicly, and more detailed in classified briefings to Members of Congress, that we do not have a comprehensive method of confidently vetting refugees and other travelers coming to the United States from certain areas of the world," Bucshon said in a statement.
"Reports in the media and statements made by opponents of vetting to the contrary are false. Furthermore, the countries included in the President's executive order originate from a list of areas of concern compiled by the Obama Administration. Therefore, I support temporarily restricting the admittance of refugees and other travelers from these select areas until a verifiable system is in place to fully and completely vet whether or not the individuals admitted pose a threat to the safety of the American people. The restrictions should not affect U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. In addition, I believe people with previously approved refugee status applications or visas should be admitted to the U.S."
Cardinal Joseph Tobin
Cardinal Joseph Tobin is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. He released a lengthy statement against "closing borders and building walls", calling them irrational acts. He also spoke out against threatening "sanctuary cities," which do not disclose immigration or citizenship status to federal officials.
Tobin previously served as the Archbishop of Indianapolis, where he publicly opposed former Gov. Mike Pence's attempt to block Syrian refugees from settling in the state.
"Wednesday's Executive Actions do not show the United States to be an open and welcoming nation. They are the opposite of what it means to be an American."
"Wednesday's Executive Actions do not show the United States to be an open and welcoming nation," Tobin said in a statement. "They are the opposite of what it means to be an American."
"Here in Newark, we are in the final steps of preparing to welcome 51 refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Tobin continued in his statement. "This is only the latest group of people whom Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese has helped to resettle during the past 40 years. This current group of refugees has waited years for this moment and already has been cleared by the federal government. They have complied with all of the stringent requirements of a vetting process that is coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security. Catholic Charities, assisted by parishes and parishioners of the Archdiocese, will help them establish homes, jobs and new lives so that they can contribute positively to life in northern New Jersey.
"When this group is settled, we hope to welcome others. This nation has a long and rich history of welcoming those who have sought refuge because of oppression or fear of death. The Acadians, French, Irish, Germans, Italians, Poles, Hungarians, Jews and Vietnamese are just a few of the many groups over the past 260 years whom we have welcomed and helped to find a better, safer life for themselves and their children in America. Even when such groups were met by irrational fear, prejudice and persecution, the signature benevolence of the United States of American eventually triumphed. That confident kindness is what has made, and will continue to make, America great."
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)
Sen. Joe Donnelly says he agrees with taking actions to protect the United States, but believes the executive order is not the way to do so.
"I think we can all agree we need strong measures to protect our national security and prevent terrorists from entering our country; however, I believe we can make our country safer in a way that is consistent with our values and the executive order signed by the President is not one of those ways," Donnelly said in a statemetn. "In fact, it could actually make us less safe by providing recruitment fodder for ISIS's propaganda machine."
Donnelly voiced concerns with protesters at the Indianapolis International Airport. Donnelly said on Twitter it's possible to make the country safer in a way "consistent with our values," but this is not how it should be done.
(2/2) Joe has said he does not believe the executive order signed by the President is one of those ways. pic.twitter.com/TCbzGwlmR3
- Senator Joe Donnelly (@SenDonnelly) January 30, 2017
Rep. Susan Brooks (R- 5th District Ind.)
Rep. Susan Brooks (R) also spoke out against the executive order, calling for more information and clarity regarding the impact of the temporary provisions in the executive order on people who already have visas or who have previously been granted legal status.
"Keeping our country safe should be our top priority, and I agree that we must do more to improve our vetting process for foreign nationals and refugees who wish to come to our country, especially from places where terrorist organizations are active and governments are unstable or nonexistent," Brooks said in a statement. "We know that jihadists and terrorists are using our immigration and refugee resettlement programs to infiltrate and attack our homeland. It is up to us to ensure that their efforts to do so are unsuccessful, and increased scrutiny of people traveling to the United States from such places is one way to accomplish this goal. However, I do not believe in discrimination, I do not support a religious test for immigrants or refugees, and I do support our nation's refugee resettlement program."
