A mother, father and 5-year-old son from Syria have been diverted to Connecticut after Indiana officials objected to the refugees resettling in their state and Gov. Dannel Malloy held a news conference saying he has welcomed the family and they are happy to be in a place where the governor wants them.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence ordered state agencies to halt resettlement activities after the deadly attacks in Paris as he and several other governors said they want assurances that proper security measures are in place.
Malloy, however, said the state will continue to accept refugees, calling it the right thing to do.
The family of three to arrive in Connecticut has been waiting since 2012 to be resettled in the U.S., and was scheduled to arrive in Indianapolis on Thursday.
Malloy said he told them that they are coming to a country where most came from another place.
"I feel a person obligation that we do our part," Malloy said about the state welcoming refugees.
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Malloy has downplayed any security threat from incoming refugees, describing them as "a small number."
He also added they were, "a number over which you could do a lot of security background checks and that sort of thing.”
The House Republican leader responded to Malloy's announcement by questioning how the state would set up protocols ta accept refugees.
“We cannot rely solely on people at the federal level to tell us who should be allowed in and where they would be housed - we need to hear from Connecticut’s own experts to come up with a safe, secure plan,’’ House Republican Leader Themis Klarides said in a statement.
Malloy is holding a news conference in New Haven.
According to the Refugee Processing Center, 42 total refugees from Syria now call Connecticut home.
The first group of 39 made their way to the Nutmeg state during the 2015 Fiscal Year. During that time, 19 migrants ended up in new Haven, 13 in Hartford, four in West Haven and three in Bristol.
Indiana officials sent letters on Tuesday to Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc. and Catholic Charities Indianapolis saying plans to accept two Syrian families should be halted.
Exodus Executive Director Carleen Miller said she doesn't believe the state of Indiana has the power to stop the resettlements but didn't want the family to go through any additional "scrutiny or drama."
