Here's how central Indiana's elected officials have responded to the executive order banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries:
Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly (D) - Opposed
"I think we can all agree we need strong measures to protect our national security and prevent terrorists from entering our country. I have worked to strengthen our visa programs and have said we should always be looking for ways to make our country safer; however, I do not believe that shutting down the refugee program will achieve that goal and could actually make us less safe by providing recruitment fodder for ISIS's propaganda machine.”
Indiana Senator Todd Young (R) - Unclear
"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.”
Indiana US Representative Todd Rokita (R-4th District) - Support
“While the United States has a proud tradition of welcoming refugees into our country, we cannot ignore the high-threat environment that exists in the world. Despite claims from Democrats, this is not a ban on Muslim refugees, as the order specifically targets a select few nations with known terrorist networks. The President's executive order is a necessary step to protect our citizens, and I am especially encouraged to see its language empowering states to have more say in our country's refugee process."
Indiana US Representative Susan Brooks (R-5th District) - Unclear
“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. 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. America is a nation of immigrants, and our diversity has always been one of our greatest strengths. I join my colleagues in Congress in calling on the Administration for more information and clarity around the impact of the temporary provisions in the executive order on people who already have visas or who have previously been granted legal status.”
Indiana US Representative Luke Messer (R-6th District) - Support
"This is a pause, not a ban, while we work to ensure the U.S. has effective vetting processes in place to protect Americans from terrorist threats. The details will of course matter, but it's way past time for us to develop this capability, and President Trump is right to prioritize American safety until we get this done.”
Indiana US Representative Andre Carson (D-7th District) - Opposed
“The US was built by immigrants and refugees: Protestants looking for freedom, Irish Catholics escaping starvation and Jews fleeing violence. Today, millions of Muslim families need our help. America is in an immigrant nation. Blocking them is un-American."
Indiana US Representative Larry Bucshon (R-8th District) - Unclear
"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."
Indiana US Representative Trey Hollingsworth (R-9th District) - Unclear
"I want us to get back to Americans feeling safe and we do that through a safe and thorough vetting system for anyone that comes to this country to be sure they're not coming to do us harm. A lot of critics will say a lot of refugees have come to this country and haven't done us harm here and now we're blocking those refugees from coming here-- how do you counter those arguments? Absolutely-- I want everyone to come here legally and I want everyone to come here who doesn't want to do us harm."
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb (R) - Unclear
“There is no larger duty in America than to protect our citizens and borders. We will monitor the future implementation of this executive order and its potential impact on Hoosiers. We can all agree there should be no adverse effects on the welcoming environment for the law-abiding international community that is such an important part of our great state.”
Find out who your representatives are here.
READ MORE | President's executive order on immigration: All you need to know | INFORMAL POLL: 60% of Hoosiers support Trump's executive order | Indiana universities react to executive order on immigration | Tips to best get a hold of your local reps
