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Monday, October 20, 2025

Syrian refugees barred from Indiana, Jared Fogle behind bars

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Gov. Mike Pence has done it again. He has shed national attention on Indiana, and like the RFRA debacle, Pence’s take on Syrian refugees is not being received well.

Last week Pence suspended the resettlement of refugees in Indiana. His reasons? Pence is concerned about our state’s security. He feels the federal government should do more while reviewing security clearances and procedures for refugees. Pence is not the only governor to raise such concerns, as more than half of this country’s governors have done so. All but one of those governors is Republican.

But let’s leave political affiliations out of this. What Pence is doing is flat out wrong. For starters, no governor can prohibit anyone admitted to the United States from residing in their state. Legally, it simply cannot happen. Another reason Pence’s actions are wrong is because they are overtly discriminating. Pence cannot agree to allow a family from Burma to live in Indiana, while excluding a family from Syria. Nor can he allow a person from Madagascar to take residence here while preventing an individual from Namibia. It simply is not fair.

That being said, I do understand Pence’s concern. He wants Hoosiers to be safe. I appreciate him for that, but in working to ensure our safety, the governor must also follow federal laws.

Gov. Pence’s stance on Syrian refugees has been a heated topic of discussion in my home. My husband and I have family visiting from out of town, and the number of people who support and oppose Pence are almost evenly divided.

The naysayers say Pence should want refugees in Indy, because it is a moral issue. One person said, “This is not our world, it is God’s world. We can’t turn people away.”

In contrast, one Pence supporter at our home said refugees shouldn’t be allowed in the United States because America has its own problems that need to be corrected such as poverty, crime, and education and racial disparities.

“I know someone who is a percentage point above the poverty level so she doesn’t qualify for food assistance, despite her not having enough money to pay her bills AND feed her children.”

That person also mentioned the fact that refugees not only get access to health care and food assistance, they also receive free housing and financial assistance.

How can you deny your own people, but grant outsiders help was a question someone posed.

I understand both perspectives — those who agree and disagree with Pence. The United States needs to do a more effective job of balancing the needs of Americans while also helping victims of persecution, injustice and war. The implementation of such a balancing effort needs to begin immediately.

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Well, Subway pitchman Jared Fogle was sentenced to 15 years, eight months in prison for having child pornography and for engaging in sex with underage prostitutes. Federal Judge Tanya Walton Pratt’s sentence exceeded the 12 years prosecutors requested, and justly so. Fogle is a monster, and his request for five years in prison for such heinous crimes was not only grossly unrealistic, it was also incredibly arrogant. I salute Walton Pratt for holding Fogle accountable. Her efforts garnered her national attention, which was most deserving given her professional acumen and longevity in the law. Now there is one less person on the streets to harm our youth.

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Speaking of Jared Fogle, Fox 59 is running promotional ads claiming to be the station that initially exposed Fogle’s indiscretions. Not the case! Steve Jefferson, an award-winning journalist at WTHR Channel 13, was actually the person to break the story. Since then, Channel 13 has followed the story vigorously and has provided several in-depth updates. Kudos to Jefferson and the whole WTHR team.

*****

This is the first year the Mozel Sanders Foundation Thanksgiving Dinner will occur without Amos Brown, who was a strong advocate of the organization and helped them raise thousands of dollars. You can honor Amos’ legacy as well as help deserving families by making donations or volunteering your time. Visit Mozelsanders.org to do either. Also, donations are accepted throughout the year, so any monetary gift beyond Thursday will help make next year’s event a success.

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