INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — New billboards have created controversy in Marion County.

Local activists have publicly called on the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to end its cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

LiveFree Indiana is the Indiana chapter of LiveFree USA, a national organization working to address gun violence and mass incarceration by advocating for initiatives and challenging policies that lead to the criminalization of communities of color.

The chapter’s billboards — 3115 Madison Ave., 5780 Sunnyside Road, and 3654 Lafayette Road — display the message “Fund Our Future | Don’t Force Us Apart.” The chapter aims to pressure Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal, a Democrat, to cease collaboration with federal immigration authorities.

Republican Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order in January directing Indiana law enforcement agencies to fully cooperate with ICE.

Carolyn Higginbotham, a representative of Indy Action Coalition, said, “So, what we hope is that people will become more aware that our jail is being used to detain people for ICE and that is having a negative impact on our community.”

LiveFree Indiana’s leadership accused the Marion County Sheriff’s Office of allowing financial incentives from ICE collaboration to influence its decision-making. Under the current contract, the jail receives $75 per day for each person held for the federal government, which is more than what the state pays for holding prisoners.

Higginbotham expressed concerns about the use of tax dollars. “We want our tax dollars to be used on things that fund our future and not for things that tear our community apart.”

Higginbotham also said no law requires jails to be used as ICE detention facilities.

Forrestal, in a May report from Mirror Indy published on WISHTV.com, noted that the sheriff’s office has had a contract since 1986 with the U.S. Marshal’s Office to house a limited number of federal inmates. He also noted that Indiana law mandates Indiana law enforcement officers must cooperate with federal immigration officers.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement to News 8 on Wednesday: “We will continue to follow the law.”

Activists from LiveFree Indiana called on Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett to publicly pressure the sheriff to end the ICE agreement, emphasizing that this is only the beginning of their campaign.

News 8’s Gregg Montgomery contributed to this report.

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