Indiana Attorney General Sues St. Joseph County Sheriff

Source: PHOTO: WIBC

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced a lawsuit against the St. Joseph County Police Department on Friday, accusing them of not cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

At the press conference, Rokita emphasized the importance of local law enforcement complying with federal immigration policies, specifically in notifying ICE of the release of undocumented immigrants and honoring ICE detainers.

Rokita criticized the department’s actions, saying, “This deliberate decision to not cooperate with federal immigration authorities is giving safe harbor to criminal aliens that need to be removed from our country and this county. It is making St. Joseph County a magnet for illegal immigrants and the crimes they bring with them, putting law-abiding citizens, including our children, at risk.”

The Attorney General also claimed that his office had made multiple attempts to contact Sheriff Redman and his department regarding the issue, but these attempts were largely ignored. According to Rokita, the lawsuit seeks to enforce Indiana state law, which mandates cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

In response, the St. Joseph County Police Department issued a statement rejecting these claims, stating that the Attorney General had publicly announced the lawsuit without informing them beforehand and that they had not yet received a copy. They also disputed Rokita’s claim of multiple conversations between him and Sheriff Redman, asserting that “the Sheriff has never even had a conversation with Todd Rokita.”

The department further denied accusations of non-cooperation with ICE, stating that they “regularly communicate with ICE” and promptly inform immigration officials when someone is set to be released from jail.