Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order directing Indiana law enforcement agencies and the Indiana National Guard to fully cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday.
The Indiana Daily Student reached out to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomington Police Department for clarity on what the order means for them going forward.
MCSO sent the following statement to the IDS:
“Issuing executive orders is certainly within the authority of the Governor of the State of Indiana. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office will continue to function in accordance with Federal and State statutes and the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Indiana."
BPD has not yet responded.
This order comes after President Donald Trump’s new federal immigration policies have started to take effect. On Inauguration Day, Trump signed an Executive order titled “Securing Our Borders” to address the effects of “unlawful mass migration.” The order states that the federal government would work with state and local law enforcement to ensure federal immigration policy is implemented. Nebraska also signed a similar executive order to support federal immigration policies.
The order will also allow law enforcement agencies to “perform the functions of immigration officers” to investigate and detain individuals who are illegally in the United States.
It also mandates law enforcement agencies around Indiana to report to the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center with evidence of undocumented immigrants with a prior criminal history or suspicion of committing a felony, engaging in terror or espionage or who present a threat to national security.
The order also requires state vendors — a business or individual that sells goods or services to the state government —to verify that their workforce is lawfully permitted to work in the United States.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita filed an amended complaint against the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 6 due to its policy on federal immigration detention. Prior to that, Rokita sued the sheriff's office and Monroe County Sheriff Ruben Marté on July 11, 2024. A circuit court judge found Rokita’s original complaint insufficient.
This article was updated to include a statement from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.