‘Sabotage’: Indiana AG accuses town of blocking new ICE facility

Attorney General Todd Rokita is threatening to sue the town of Merrillville over its “efforts to sabotage” a new federal immigration detention facility in the area.

“Indiana will not tolerate any kind of sanctuary-style obstruction of immigration enforcement from local government officials,” Rokita said in a Monday news release. “Merrillville’s efforts to sabotage ICE’s attempts to create new detention space for illegal aliens are unlawful.”

“Under (Senate Enrolled Act 76) and Indiana’s anti-sanctuary laws, local officials cannot impede federal authorities’ efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and carry out mass deportations,” he added. “If they don’t change course immediately, we will hold them accountable.”

Immigration crackdown heads to Indiana governor after falling short last year

Late last year, the Washington Post revealed plans from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold 80,000 immigrant detainees in industrial warehouses, possibly including Merrillville — to the northwest Indiana town’s surprise, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Merrillville’s Town Council in January passed a resolution agreeing to oppose any attempt to convert existing warehouses into an ICE facility.

On his website, Council President Rick Bella wrote that the warehouses were built for industrial use, “not human occupancy at detention-scale levels,” and that such a conversion would place “unanticipated demands” on the town’s water, sewer, police, fire, emergency services and other public resources.

In a cease-and-desist letter last week to Merrillville, Rokita said town officials have discouraged property owners from making real estate deals with ICE — “intimidat(ing)” owners and causing some transactions to fall through. 

“Because federal law permits ICE to acquire property to use for the detention of illegal aliens, Indiana law forbids any action by a local government entity that would limit or restrict ICE’s ability to do so,” Rokita’s letter reads. “These actions unquestionably qualify as unlawful restrictions on ‘the enforcement of federal immigration laws.'”

He asked Merrillville to rescind the resolution, stop interfering in resident-ICE land deals, and issue a public statement clarifying that the town won’t oppose transactions or retaliate against any land owners that sell to ICE.

Rokita threatened to sue if the town doesn’t comply by July 15.

Bella didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

ICE and the state of Indiana have a two-year agreement allowing for the detention of up to 1,000 male immigrants to be held at the Miami Correctional Facility. The state has received about $20 million from the agency — versus about $22 million in expenses — Department of Correction Commissioner Lloyd Arnold told lawmakers last week.