Enforcing Immigration Laws

The federal government's failure to secure our borders has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to enter the U.S. With this wave of illegal immigration has also come an increase in deadly drugs, gang activity and human trafficking.

This year, Senate Republicans are supporting the following efforts to enforce stronger immigration laws in Indiana.

• One measure would allow the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to give grants to local law enforcement agencies to assist them in meeting the requirements to partner with ICE on immigration enforcement. The name of this federal-local partnership program is a "287(g) agreement," under which ICE can give a local law enforcement agency the authority to exercise ICE's enforcement powers on their behalf.
• Another measure would make it a crime to get a driver's license, vehicle title or vehicle registration with the intent to pass on the license or vehicle to someone who cannot legally drive in Indiana. The intent of this bill is to address the problem of "straw man" actors who get driver's licenses or vehicles on behalf of illegal immigrants who can't get them on their own.
• A third measure would require county sheriffs to inform ICE if there is probable cause to believe a person arrested for a crime is in the U.S. illegally.

In addition to these bills, Senate Republicans have also supported new laws in recent years to ban sanctuary cities and sanctuary campuses in Indiana and gave the Attorney General enforcement power over those laws.

While Indiana is not a border state, the Biden administration's failed security efforts at our southern border are still impacting the country as a whole – forcing states across the nation to take action to protect their residents. That's why lawmakers in Indiana have worked continually to pass legislation that will help keep Hoosiers safe.