Senator Dick Durbin has joined colleagues and a coalition of national faith leaders to consider what he calls smart, moral policymaking over reactionary fear-mongering.

The comments are a response to efforts to block Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the US and Donald Trump's headline grabbing proposal to block Muslim immigrants and visitors.

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Durbin says there are second thoughts in some corners when it comes to the effort to lock out Syrian refugees.

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Durbin has also called on Governor Bruce Rauner to drop his opposition to the arrival of Syrian refugees in the state.