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Appeals Court To Hear IN Arguments For Blocking Syrian Refugees

Governor Mike Pence's attempt to block Syrian refugees from settling in Indiana will have its day in a federal appeals court this week.

Governor Pence announced in December he was halting Indiana's Syrian refugee program. That meant Indiana would no longer provide funding to private groups that help resettle Syrian refugees.

However, Exodus Refugee Immigration, filed a lawsuit to prevent the state from denying the funds. The Pence administration's argument is that the governor wants to protect Hoosiers and doesn't trust the federal government's screening of Syrian refugees.

A federal judge ruled against Indiana, siding with Exodus' argument that Pence's program discriminates against people based on their national origin. The state appealed the ruling, leading to Wednesday's hearing at the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.

More than 100 Syrian refugees have resettled in the state since Pence's December directive.