A federal judge has permanently barred Indiana from trying to prevent Syrian refugees from resettling in the state under an order Vice President Mike Pence championed as governor.

Among the series of executive actions Trump could sign, one puts a 120-day ban on all refugee admissions and an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees.

Gov. Pence maintains Syrian refugees are a threat to Hoosiers, but during the gubernatorial debate Monday Holcomb said he would welcome refugees.

Appeals Court Judge Richard Posner says the state offered no evidence to justify its fears of Syrian refugees.

Indianapolis-based Exodus Refugee Immigration says it hasn't encountered any troubles in resettling nearly 100 Syrians in Indiana this year.

"The only reason the killer was in America in the first place is because we allowed his family to come here," Donald Trump said on Monday.

A federal judge will not temporarily halt her ruling on Indiana's refugee resettlement program. The state will have to provide funding to refugee resettlement organizations while the legal battle over money for resettlement continues.

The Indiana attorney general's office is asking a federal judge to put on hold her order against Gov. Mike Pence's efforts to bar state agencies from helping Syrian refugees resettle in the state.

A judge ruled Monday in a civil lawsuit against Gov. Mike Pence, saying that Pence cannot deny state funds to Syrian refugees. The ACLU of Indiana is suing Pence on behalf of Exodus.

In a statement, Gov. Mike Pence says he will seek to immediately halt the effects of the judge's ruling and appeal the decision.