Indiana AG enters into agreement with ICE, urges sheriffs to join

Only seven of Indiana’s 92 county sheriffs have signed agreements to work with federal law enforcement on immigration cases. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita says he hopes others follow his lead to change that.

Rokita’s office announced on Wednesday a partnership with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to improve the ability of state investigators to work with federal law enforcement.

Investigators from the attorney general’s office will receive training from ICE and be able to perform some immigration enforcement functions under the federal agency’s supervision, Rokita said.

He said in a statement that this may include participating in ICE operations, executing immigration warrants and interrogating people about their right to remain in the United States.

The agreement with ICE falls under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and aims to help deport illegal immigrants.

Such efforts are supported by the FAIRNESS Act, which Gov. Mike Braun signed into law in June.

The new law aims to hold employers of illegal immigrants accountable and discourage municipalities from being sanctuaries, according to a June statement from the governor’s office.

“Every county sheriff across the state should be — and can be — doing what we’re doing. And what sheriffs across the nation are doing,” Rokita said in a statement, adding that working with federal law enforcement is “a key part of how we deport illegal aliens under the FAIRNESS Act.”

Rokita said the agreements can open up opportunities to obtain federal funding to help with public safety.

The office said Wednesday morning that six county sheriffs had signed agreements to work with ICE and later updated that total to seven. Those sheriffs are in Blackford, Dearborn, Hamilton, Jasper, Noble, Rush, and Spencer counties.

Rokita’s office has aggressively pushed partnerships with ICE. It has sued sheriffs in St. Joseph and Monroe counties and Indianapolis Public Schools over cooperation levels.

In July, Rokita also sued the Merrillville town council, accusing it of interfering with ICE efforts to create a detention space for undocumented immigrants.