Marion County Sheriff Discusses Overcrowding with ICE Detainees

INDIANAPOLIS–The Marion County Adult Detention Center in Indianapolis will no longer hold Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees for extended periods due to overcrowding and budget constraints.

In a news release sent out on Monday, Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal said the sheriff’s office is currently housing around 175 individuals who should be in state prison facilities, costing around $3 million annually.

Forestal said the opening of the IDOC’s Miami Correctional Facility may help ease overcrowding, but immediate local action is still necessary.

“Without these adjustments, the Sheriff would be forced to return to the City-County Council seeking nearly $3 million in additional funding. As a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, Sheriff Forestal maintains he must act now. The Indianapolis City-County Council has previously threatened to restrict the Sheriff’s budget. Nevertheless, Sheriff Forestal will continue to follow the law as noted by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, honoring valid ICE detainers while managing ADC capacity responsibly,” said the Sheriff’s Office.

Forestal says he has raised this issue for years under two separate state administrations without relief.

“We cannot continue to operate like this. The State must play its role in ensuring public safety in Marion County. If this continues, the next Sheriff will be forced to seek additional ADC beds simply to remain under the 2,400-inmate budget cap imposed by the City-County Council,” said Forestal.