Indiana Facility Set for Major Role in ICE Detention Expansion

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana is preparing to convert the Miami Correctional Facility into a detention center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The state budget committee has approved $16 million for renovations to accommodate ICE detainees.

The facility, located 70 miles north of Indianapolis, will begin housing detainees as early as August. Indiana Governor Mike Braun announced plans to utilize 1,000 empty beds at the facility, with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem promoting the initiative under the controversial nickname, “Speedway Slammer.” This name has raised concerns among local lawmakers.

“I do not want to see my state compared to the so-called Alligator… whatever they call it down there in Florida,” said Democratic state Rep. Ed Delaney. Delaney advised state officials to distinguish Indiana’s facility from others.

The Department of Corrections aims to avoid the negative associations by emphasizing the facility’s official name. Commissioner Lloyd Arnold stated, “We prefer ‘Miami Correctional Facility’ because that’s what it is. We’re going to have a detention center for those people that are in our care.” He assured the public that detainees would be returned to their home countries safely.

To operationalize the facility as an ICE detention center, significant upgrades are necessary, including enhanced fencing, lighting, and drug detection systems. Arnold pointed out that the federal government is expected to reimburse Indiana at a rate of $291 per day per detainee, substantially higher than the $42 per day for local jail prisoners.

The state’s contract with the federal government guarantees a minimum of 450 detainees, ensuring that Indiana won’t be left to cover costs if numbers fall short. Arnold expressed confidence in the plan’s profitability, stating, “We wouldn’t be doing it if there’s not a built-in profit.”

However, staffing remains a critical challenge. The Miami Correctional Facility has struggled with staffing shortages, necessitating the hiring of an additional 170 correctional officers. To attract new employees, the state plans to offer competitive wages of $28 an hour, which marks a $6 increase.

Indiana already houses one of the largest ICE detention centers in the Midwest at the Clay County Jail. Advocates for immigration reform have expressed concern over the state’s growing role in ICE detentions. Sayra Perez, an organizer with the Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance, stated, “Our state’s growing role in ICE’s detention and deportation machine is a direct attack on immigrant Hoosiers — our coworkers, students, and neighbors.”

A motion by Democrats to remove the funding from the approval agenda was defeated in a narrow 3-2 vote.