A broad immigration enforcement bill is on its way to the governor after the Senate voted to approve House amendments. It decisively passed 37 to 11.
The FAIRNESS Act includes provisions that require schools, hospitals, local governments, police and sheriffs offices to comply with federal immigration enforcement. It also requires businesses operating in the state to verify the legal status of their employees.
Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) voted against the bill. Representing a rural district, she says the five-day penalty shut down for businesses found employing someone without legal status, even if done unintentionally, would critically harm the agriculture industry.
"Now all of you guys, even the ones from the city, understand you can’t ignore the cows for five days. They’re going to have to be milked. They’re going to have to be fed,” Leising said.
Governor Mike Braun has signaled his support for the legislation that further aligns the state with the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.
Senate Bill 76 includes provisions that require schools, universities, public hospitals, local governments, police and sheriff offices to comply with federal immigration enforcement. It also requires businesses operating in the state to verify the legal status of their employees.
House lawmakers approved an overhaul of the bill earlier in the session. Key changes included annual inspections of county jails to verify compliance and a requirement for hospitals to document and report the identification provided by Medicaid recipients starting in 2027.
State Sen. Liz Brown (R-Ft. Wayne), the bill’s author, said she supports the amended version.
“I think we worked really well together in terms of getting this to a good place,” Brown said.
The bill is also known as the FAIRNESS Act: Fostering and Advancing Immigration Reforms Necessary to Ensure Safety and Security.
Governmental bodies and public universities could be fined up to $10,000 for knowingly or intentionally restricting immigration enforcement.
The Attorney General’s office would be empowered to enforce compliance, and Attorney General Todd Rokita signaled his support after the bill was amended to reflect the policies endorsed by President Donald Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan.
Earlier in the session, Democrats proposed amendments to shield schools and hospitals from complying with federal immigration investigations. Sen. Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) said the bill takes a federal issue and turns it into a state responsibility.
“That state responsibility is putting right into the lap of our teachers, our nurses, our doctors, our principals, our school bus drivers, our lunch room workers, every single employee in these government entities are going to have to serve as an extension of a federal enforcement agent,” Yoder said.
Democrats also warned the measure could lead to racial profiling.
