Indiana AG Sues Sheriff Over Immigration Law Compliance

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit against the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department, accusing it of refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities by not notifying ICE of illegal immigrant releases and ignoring detainer requests. Rokita claims this practice provides safe harbor for criminal aliens and violates state law, which prohibits policies that restrict communication between local and federal law enforcement. The sheriff's department denies these allegations, asserting they regularly communicate with ICE and adhere to legal requirements. The lawsuit follows multiple attempts by Rokita's office to engage with the department and coincides with legislative efforts to enforce stricter communication protocols between law enforcement entities. Rokita indicated willingness to rescind the lawsuit if the sheriff's department complies with cooperation demands. The department, however, stated it was not aware of the lawsuit until the public announcement.