Lake County Sheriff’s Cooperating with ICE after Warning from AG Todd Rokita
Source: (PHOTO: Todd Rokita)
LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — Attorney General Todd Rokita says the Lake County Sheriff’s Department is cooperating with ICE because it is required by state law. This comes after ongoing discussions between the sheriff’s department and federal immigration officials.
Rokita sent two letters recently to the Lake County sheriff, making it clear that a lawsuit would develop if officers continued to avoid cooperating with ICE.
“With the Lake County Sheriff’s Department now honoring ICE detainers, criminal aliens will be deported rather than just simply being released back into our communities,” Attorney General Rokita says. “Eliminating another sanctuary jurisdiction from our state is a major win for the rule of law and for Hoosier taxpayers. We will continue our ongoing conversations with ICE and Lake County to ensure they are compliant with Indiana law. We do reserve our right at all times to enforce state law, even when it comes to the County Sheriff.”
The Indiana General Assembly passed a law last year, allowing the attorney general to file lawsuits against universities or local government entities that do not follow Indiana’s ban or sanctuary jurisdictions.
Rokita has already sued the sheriff’s departments in Monroe and St. Joseph counties for refusing to cooperate with ICE. He also says he’ll continue to monitor local agencies, taking legal action when necessary.
