After losing in his attempt to sue Democratic St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman, Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is championing a new statehouse bill to crack down on illegal immigration.
Rokita on Monday issued a statement praising the Indiana House Judiciary Committee for advancing a bill aimed at forcing local governments, like sheriff departments, to take a more active role in deporting undocumented immigrants they come into contact with.
The bill would require sheriffs or local police to inform the judge, when considering release on bail, if the defendant has a detainer request from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill also requires the Indiana Department of Correction to adopt minimum standards for county jails to ensure “proper cooperation” between a jail and ICE.
The bill also states that it’s illegal for companies to intentionally recruit, hire or employ undocumented immigrants, and gives the attorney general power to bring enforcement actions against employers that he chooses.
In October St. Joseph County Superior Judge Jenny Pitts Manier tossed out Rokita’s lawsuit against Redman. She ruled that Rokita lacks standing to bring the case and that a state attorney general can’t make local police help ICE. Rokita has appealed.
