INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — ICE officials confirmed Wednesday that “Operation Safe Community – Indiana” netted 426 total arrests of illegal immigrants between August 30 and September 3 throughout the state of Indiana. 

ICE enforcement and Removal Operations acting Assistant Director, Patricia Hyde, released a statement that says in part: “This operation underscores the fact that when law enforcement agencies cooperate, the American people are safer.”

Circle City Broadcasting spoke with Dallin Lykins, an immigration lawyer with Banks and Brower Wednesday to discuss the operation. He says the immigration sweep has made it more difficult for his firm to let their clients know what to expect. 

“What used to be a little more certain – you could explain a process of how the immigration laws work and how the system works…now it’s hard to explain that process because I can’t promise that process will be followed.”

Two weeks after a raid led to several arrests at the 54 Beauty Lounge in Lawrence, many of the surrounding businesses are open again, but are struggling with a lack of customers. They say residents, illegal or otherwise, are too scared to leave their homes.

The owner of a Honduran restaurant in the Pendleton Pike Shoppes plaza says he’s seen an 80% decrease in sales and has already had to let some employees go. 

“It can impact businesses, their consumers…we’ve spoken with employers who have employees that are going through the process as best they can through the immigration system and are still getting detained and losing their jobs,” Lykins said.

A press release by ICE states the criminal history of the 426 arrested include charges of sex crimes, assault, weapons offenses, domestic violence and drug trafficking. 

Lykins pushed back at the notion, saying many of the clients they’ve been working with have been detained without a criminal record. 

“Every alien arrested during this operation was in violation of U.S. immigration law. Indiana is safer today as a result of the hard work of our ICE officers,” Raymond Hernandez, deputy field office director of ICE Chicago, said.

The full press release from ICE can be found here: ICE Operation Safe Community nets more than 400 arrests in Indiana | ICE

About The Author

See author's posts