Here in America we enjoy an almost unprecedented level of personal freedom, and on a daily basis it is very easy to forget how lucky we are. There is a high degree of separation between the everyday U.S. citizen and the countries around the world that do not experience anywhere near as much freedom. Aside from military personnel and a small population of journalists, we will never experience everyday life the way a lot of people around the world do. Between our high standards of personal freedoms and high degree of separation, we are often clouded in the way we view current global situations.
In light of the recent Paris attacks, there's a new controversy over the refugee policy in our country. Many citizens have taken to social media protesting the admittance of refugees into America; many GOP governors and representatives (including Mike Pence, Indiana's governor) have quite vocally opposed the Obama Administration's refugee resettlement program.
Pence was quoted by The Indy Star saying that he will suspend the refugee resettlement policy in Indiana due to security concerns. Many other Republican governors, including those in Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio, etc. have stated similar concerns and stances on the issue. President Obama issued a statement on Nov. 21 that he would leave the borders of America open to refugees as long as he was president. The refugee entrance process is, in fact, long and rigorous in this country, with refugees having to present and prove persecution or well-founded fear/necessity to leave. Sometimes, it can take women and children up to three years to gain entrance into the U.S. after going through a tiring process of interviews with almost every anti-terrorism agency in America. This is all after the refugees have been assigned to the U.S. as well, because refugees cannot request where they will be resettled unless they have family already residing in a particular country. Many refugees end up staying in resettlement camps until the threat to their country has been resolved. Only a very small percentage of refugees end up in America, on average about 70,000 a year. That is only 0.0002 percent of America's population.
Where the resettlement program becomes legally hazy is around the abilities of the states to refuse the refugees. According to The Refugee Act of 1980, the president has the discretion and ability to choose whether or not to admit refugees who present the well-founded fear of persecution. In an even more recent case, Arizona v. United States, the president's unique ability to make the call on refugee immigration was made even clearer and stronger. The question then becomes, other than withhold state resources, what are the governors planning to do to stop the resettlement of Syrian refugees?
What should we do? The United States has always had a compassionate past; if we turn away the women and children living in disaster we are turning our backs on an integral part of our nation's character. We do not live in fear, we live comfortably and happily in a nation where we are even allowed to write articles such as this one and express our political and social opinions-- shouldn't it be our duty to help ensure others around the country have the opportunity to experience the same freedoms? Are we misusing our influence if we turn away? Here in Indiana we offer some of the cheapest ways for refugees to resettle, meaning that we are only leaving increasingly expensive options for the Syrian refugees, people who are already impoverished and disadvantaged when they come here. Where is the social justice in that?
If you have a strong opinion one way or another, you can contact Mike Pence and other Indiana government officials here:
MPENCE@state.in.us
(317) 232-4567
Let him know.
