Rep. Carson Calls to End ICE Detention in IN After Deaths, Neglect
BUNKER HILL, Ind. — An expanding oversight inquiry into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Indiana has exposed medical gaps and dangerous living conditions at the Miami Correctional Facility, leading to renewed demands for the immediate shutdown of its ICE detention operations.
Documentary evidence released by Congressman André Carson (IN-07) reveals that federal immigration authorities officially acknowledged detainees at the Bunker Hill facility missed 799 doses of prescribed medication. The admission follows a congressional investigation triggered by the deaths of two men in ICE custody at the site within a six-week span earlier this year.
The Miami Correctional Facility had been operational as an ICE detention center for less than six months when two detainees died:
Lorth Sim, 59, passed away on February 16, 2026.
Tuan Van Bui, 55, passed away on April 1, 2026.
Following the deaths, Rep. Carson conducted an unannounced congressional oversight visit to the facility on April 9, 2026, meeting directly with detainees to evaluate conditions inside. According to Carson, the testimonies he gathered directly contradicted official federal assurances regarding detainee health, safety, and custodial standards.
“I am deeply concerned by officials’ continued failure to provide timely medical care and prescribed medications to people in ICE custody at Miami Correctional Facility,” Rep. Carson stated. “The government has a clear legal duty to protect the health and safety of every person in its custody. When that duty is ignored, the consequences are life-threatening, and in some cases, deadly.”
During Carson’s April inspection, detainees detailed breakdowns in daily operations and emergency care:
Ignored Emergency Alerts: Detainees reported that screams for help during medical emergencies were frequently ignored by staff, noting that non-functioning or unmonitored intercom systems directly impacted response times during life-threatening events.
Severe Lockdowns: Detainees described being confined to their cells during frequent lockdowns lasting six to seven consecutive days.
Basic Rights Denied: Inmates reported receiving only two sets of undergarments with minimal access to working washers and dryers, a lack of accommodations for religious diets or prayer mats, and severe delays in legal mail that caused at least one detainee to miss a crucial court deadline.
In a response sent on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, David J. Venturella, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director for ICE, defended the agency’s protocols. Venturella stated that ICE prioritizes detainee health and provides comprehensive care, suggesting that many individuals enter custody without prior access to regular medical care.
While ICE confirmed minor administrative updates—including commissary system upgrades and law library tablet access to congressional privacy forms—its responses confirmed the backlog of 799 missed medication doses.
The revelation comes as the ACLU of Indiana filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of former detainee Andranik Grigoryan, who suffered a severe seizure after facility staff allegedly denied him his prescribed medication.
Rep. Carson is calling for a full, transparent investigation into all injuries and deaths at the Miami Correctional Facility, alongside strict accountability for responsible officials.
“This is not an isolated incident; this is a deadly pattern of neglect,” Carson said. “I renew my call to end ICE detention at Miami Correctional and urge swift action before another person is seriously harmed, injured, or killed by ICE.”
Carson added that he will refuse to vote for any tax dollar allocations to ICE without meaningful accountability and structural reforms.
