INDIANAPOLIS — A bill requiring local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws passed out of committee Monday. The vote comes as immigration advocates and local law enforcement raise concerns.
The proposal aims to increase cooperation between state and federal immigration enforcement agencies. However, local sheriff’s departments argue that they already work with federal authorities and are concerned about the potential financial implications of being required to take a more aggressive stance on immigration enforcement.
Tippecanoe County Sheriff Bob Goldsmith, who is also the president of the Indiana Sheriffs' Association, stated, "We are being mandated to do something that we have always done."
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Goldsmith expressed concern that increased immigration enforcement could stretch department budgets and impact community service.
"ICE is there to enforce the immigration laws. We will work with our federal partners, but to be a branch of the federal government with all the other duties and responsibilities we have, we don't have the time or the resources to do,” Goldsmith said.
In addition to mandating cooperation from local law enforcement, the bill also creates penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers. It grants the governor the authority to withhold funding from state agencies that fail to comply with the new law, including state funding and grant funding.
Opponents of House Bill 1531 expressed their fears regarding its impact on the Latino community.
DJ Anthony, a young Latino resident, said, "They don't want us here. That's how I see it."
Kelin Peraza-Argueta, also opposing the bill, added, "I think it's just really telling the Latino community that Indiana wants them gone, and they don't care for them."
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Both Anthony and Peraza-Argueta testified against the bill. While they and others were testifying, they were met with clapping and cheers in the hallway. They say there is already fear within their community, stating that individuals are hesitant to engage in everyday activities.
"People in our communities right now, they are scared to go to the grocery stores. They are scared to go to parent-teacher conferences," Anthony said.
"What I have noticed is a lot of people have been absent just because they are afraid to go to school. They are afraid that ICE will come by and take them," Peraza-Argueta added.
Law enforcement officials hope lawmakers will maintain open lines of communication amid concerns about tighter budgets.
"I have the biggest budget in the county," Goldsmith noted. "I already know I am going to get hit for three or five million dollars I could possibly have to shave off of my budget when I am already operating at what I feel is the bare minimum. That's a problem."
Initially, the bill included a provision requiring Indiana schools to report to the Department of Education the number of non-citizen students. However, that portion was removed following significant pushback.
The bill now advances to the full House for further discussion.
