Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit against the St. Joseph County Police Department, alleging it is not fully complying with state law prohibiting sanctuary city policies by failing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The lawsuit, announced Friday, accuses the department of ignoring detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a claim the department denies.
AG Rokita: St. Joseph County “A Magnet” for Illegal Activity
At a press conference, Rokita alleged that the St. Joseph County Police Department’s non-cooperation with ICE enables unauthorized immigrants who commit crimes to remain in the community.
“This deliberate decision to not cooperate with federal immigration authorities is giving safe harbor to criminal aliens that need to be removed,” Rokita said. “It’s sad, but the local law enforcement here has become part of the problem.”
The complaint cites ICE’s June 2024 designation of the department as a “non-cooperative law enforcement agency,” alleging the department released individuals subject to ICE detainer requests. Rokita claims nine detainer requests were ignored between March and September 2024, with four additional requests disregarded since December.
St. Joseph County Police Push Back
The St. Joseph County Police Department strongly refuted Rokita’s claims in a Facebook post on Friday, stating it had not been notified of the lawsuit prior to the press conference and had yet to receive a copy of the complaint.
