A Lake Superior Court decision this week properly affirms that Indiana municipalities violate state law when they shield illegal immigrants from the law-enforcement efforts of federal authorities, Attorney General Curtis Hill said Tuesday.
The court struck down a 2017 Gary ordinance that restricted the ability of local police to help investigate individuals’ citizenship or immigration status. Among other things, the ordinance prohibited local police from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers and removal orders.
In 2011, Attorney General Hill noted, the Indiana General Assembly enacted a state law establishing a duty for localities to cooperate with federal authorities in the enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.
“Our nation’s immigration laws are designed to protect the public, including immigrants who have followed the proper processes to reside in our great country,” Attorney General Hill said. “Authorities at the local, state and federal levels must cooperate with each other to enforce these measures. Policies that purposely hinder such collaboration not only violate Indiana law but also jeopardize Hoosiers’ safety.”
