--- title: Vice Presidential Debate: Mike Pence Defends Refugee Plan description: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence defended his campaign's plan to block immigration from countries where terrorism is an issue. canonical: https://time.com/4518963/vice-presidential-debate-mike-pence-syrian-refugees/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-05T05:01:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:45:31.856Z article:section: Politics og:title: Pence Defends Refugee Plan Blocked by Judges og:description: Just one day after three judges blocked it. og:url: https://time.com/4518963/vice-presidential-debate-mike-pence-syrian-refugees/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltebe2ce17ba6e3112/6988a8b2cf40a8ee37c450b7/vice-presidential-debate-tim-kaine-mike-pence-17.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3978 og:image:height: 2238 og:image:alt: TIMEPOL Debate og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Pence Defends Refugee Plan Blocked by Judges twitter:description: Just one day after three judges blocked it. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltebe2ce17ba6e3112/6988a8b2cf40a8ee37c450b7/vice-presidential-debate-tim-kaine-mike-pence-17.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Mike Pence Defends Refugee Plan Blocked by Judges > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=13a5abaf-40a3-4c83-8b02-27bde373238a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=13a5abaf-40a3-4c83-8b02-27bde373238a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=13a5abaf-40a3-4c83-8b02-27bde373238a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Oct 5, 2016 5:01 AM UTC  Republican vice-presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence speaks during the vice-presidential debate with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., Oct. 4, 2016. Republican vice-presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence speaks during the vice-presidential debate with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., Oct. 4, 2016. Patrick Semansky—AP by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Oct 5, 2016 5:01 AM UTC Indiana Gov. Mike Pence defended Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s plan to block immigration from countries where terrorism is an issue at Tuesday night’s vice-presidential debate just one day after three [federal judges struck down a similar plan put forward in his home state](http://time.com/4517403/indiana-mike-pence-syrian-refugees-federal-court/). “Donald Trump and I are committed to suspending the Syrian refugee program and programs and immigration from areas of the world that have been compromised by terrorism,” Pence said. He painted their position as a matter of national security, arguing that the Clinton campaign would compromise the safety of the American people. In one of the rare debate moments that focused on the records of one of the two candidates on stage, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine brought up the judge’s decision to block an effort to keep Syrian refugees from being settled in the Hoosier state. Judge Richard Posner wrote in the court’s opinion that there is no evidence that refugees pose a “terrorist threat” to the U.S. “And if Syrian refugees do pose a terrorist threat, implementation of the governor’s policy would simply increase the risk of terrorism in whatever states Syrian refugees were shunted to,” he wrote. As [TIME](http://time.com/4517403/indiana-mike-pence-syrian-refugees-federal-court/) reported on Monday, an Indiana non-profit called Exodus sued Pence after he directed state agencies to deny federal funds to groups working with Syrian refugees. The Hoosier State is one of several states facing legal battles over Syrian refugees. Pence pushed back against Kaine in the debate, arguing that he would continue to put the American people first if he and Donald Trump are elected in November. “As governor of the state of Indiana, I have no higher priority than safety and security of people in my state,” he said. “So you bet I suspended that program. And I stand by that decision.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4518963/vice-presidential-debate-mike-pence-syrian-refugees/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4518963/vice-presidential-debate-mike-pence-syrian-refugees/"},"headline":"Mike Pence Defends Refugee Plan Blocked by Judges","datePublished":"2016-10-05T05:01:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:45:31.856Z","description":"Indiana Gov. Mike Pence defended his campaign's plan to block immigration from countries where terrorism is an issue.","url":"https://time.com/4518963/vice-presidential-debate-mike-pence-syrian-refugees/","keywords":["Debates","2016 Election","Syria","Mike Pence","Tim Kaine"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltebe2ce17ba6e3112/6988a8b2cf40a8ee37c450b7/vice-presidential-debate-tim-kaine-mike-pence-17.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltebe2ce17ba6e3112/6988a8b2cf40a8ee37c450b7/vice-presidential-debate-tim-kaine-mike-pence-17.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIMEPOL Debate","caption":"Republican vice-presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence speaks during the vice-presidential debate with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., Oct. 4, 2016.","creditText":"Patrick Semansky—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/debates/","name":"Debates"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4518963/vice-presidential-debate-mike-pence-syrian-refugees/","name":"Mike Pence Defends Refugee Plan Blocked by Judges"}}]}] ```