An immigration detention facility that could hold up to 8,500 people may be headed to Indianapolis, according to internal Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by The New York Times.
The Indianapolis Star reported that Mayor Joe Hogsett has not received any confirmation on these plans. Gov. Mike Braun's office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not respond to requests for comment from WFYI Wednesday.
The plans are part of the Trump administration's widely expanded federal immigration enforcement campaign. The New York Times reported that the Department of Homeland Security has plans to open at least 20 additional detention facilities in warehouses across the country, with eight already purchased in states from Maryland, Texas and Arizona.
U.S. Rep. André Carson, who represents the 7th District which includes most of the city, condemned the plan on X Wednesday, writing, "Here's my message to ICE: you're not welcome."
Some communities in Indiana have attempted to prevent DHS from opening any ICE processing or detention facility. In Northern Indiana, the Merrillville Town Council adopted a resolution in January to "take a proactive approach to clearly state the town's position on this situation," the Town Council wrote online.
But this week Indiana lawmakers neared approval for legislation that will require local governments, schools, universities, public hospitals, police and sheriff's offices to comply with federal immigration enforcement. It also requires businesses operating in the state to verify the legal status of their employees.
Marion County has already been impacted by the federal immigration enforcement campaign — with the county's adult detention facility in Indianapolis reaching capacity and announcing it would not hold people detained by ICE for longer than 48 hours.
Farrah Anderson is an investigative health reporter with WFYI and Side Effects Public Media. You can follow her on X at @farrahsoa or by email at fanderson@wfyi.org
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