Indiana Governor Reaffirms Support for Trump's Deportation Plans While Raising Concerns Over Enforcement Trends

Indiana Governor Mike Braun pledged full support for President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement plans, just days after voicing concerns over recent federal immigration enforcement practices in his state.

Signaling the state's readiness to assist federal agencies in assisting Trump's plans for mass deportations, Braun's office t stated this week that Indiana is "ready to deploy any and all resources" to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and align state law enforcement with federal immigration crackdowns.

"In the first few weeks of his administration, Gov. Braun issued an executive order to make it clear that Indiana would prioritize collaboration with the federal government to remove criminal illegal immigrants from the U.S.," Braun spokesperson Molly Craft said in a July 31 email to Indianapolis Star. "That commitment has not wavered."

Under Braun's January executive order, Indiana law enforcement is directed to fully cooperate with federal immigration efforts, including the investigation, arrest, and detention of undocumented immigrants.

While specific implementation details are expected on August 1, the executive order opens the door for expanded roles in detention and enforcement which may include the use of state-run correctional facilities, some of which have available bed capacity.

However, Braun recently raised concerns over the nature of ICE arrests in the state during an interview with Axios, questioning the agency's increasing detention of non-criminal immigrants.

"If that data is correct, I'd say that should raise eyebrows," Braun told the outlet, referring to figures showing that 23% of people arrested by ICE in Indiana in June had no criminal background—up from 6% in January. "I've been clearly on record: the worst, first."

He then emphasized that he supports removing individuals who commit crimes after entering the country illegally but expressed skepticism about broader enforcement. "If you're actually involving others, you're not probably doing a good enough job," he said.

Lastly, he noted that support for using Camp Atterbury, a military training site south of Indianapolis, for temporary housing of immigrant detainees, hinged on humane conditions: "I wouldn't entertain it unless that was the case."

Indiana already plays a significant role in immigration enforcement. Four county jails—including Marion County—contract with the U.S. Marshals Service to house ICE detainees, and the Clay County Jail in Brazil is one of the largest ICE detention centers in the Midwest. The facility has seen a significant rise in detentions, doubling its intake in the first five months of 2025 compared to all of 2024.