Indiana Expands Immigration Detention Capacity by 1,000 Beds

Indiana is set to house up to 1,000 immigration detainees at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill as part of a federal-state partnership dubbed the "Speedway Slammer." This initiative, supported by the Trump administration and led by Governor Mike Braun, aims to expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention capacity under a federally funded program. The facility, which has unused beds in an existing prison, will not be expanded but repurposed to detain individuals described by DHS as "the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens." However, the move has drawn criticism from civil rights groups like the ACLU, citing prior allegations of inhumane conditions at the Miami Correctional Facility, including dangerous electrical hazards and prolonged solitary confinement. The announcement follows similar actions in other states, such as Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz," and is part of a broader strategy to increase detention beds amid ongoing immigration enforcement efforts. Despite DHS's claims, reports from other detention centers raise concerns about detaining individuals without criminal convictions and the overall treatment of detainees.