Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Thursday that the Hoosier State would continue its ban on accepting Syrian refugees until "we have absolute assurance" that the federal government has strengthened its vetting process.
"As governor of the state of Indiana, and as you can see governors all across the United States, my responsibility is to see to the safety and security of my people," Pence told Jake Tapper
on CNN. "And unless and until we have the absolute assurance that steps have been taken to determine the background, the identity and the intentions of people who are coming in as Syrian refugees, we'll keep that policy in Indiana in place."
Pence joined with governors from more than 30 states this week to halt Syrian refugee resettlements after last week's deadly Paris attacks.
Indiana has since turned away two families — one of which was accepted by Connecticut on Wednesday and another whose status remains in limbo,
The Indianapolis Star reports.
That family of four was expected to arrive on Dec. 10.
About 40 Syrian refugees have resettled in Indiana since 2010,
the Star reports. The state accepts as many as 1,600 refugees from all countries each year, the most coming from Burma.
Pence also praised the U.S. House for approving Republican-sponsored legislation Thursday that would tighten restrictions on Syrian refugees coming into the country.
The vote was 289-137, with 47 Democrats breaking ranks to support the bill, which moves to the Senate for consideration.
President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the legislation.
"Our decision in Indiana was not to end our long and historic commitment to resettlement and compassion to refugees from Syria," Pence told Tapper. "It's just as Congress did today, we said it's time for us to take a pause to work together to set all the political rhetoric aside and find a way that we can improve the screening so that we can ensure the safety and security of our people."