Braun: Feds will reimburse Indiana for ICE detainees at Miami Correctional Facility

NEW CASTLE, Ind. (WISH) — Gov. Mike Braun said the federal government will pay Indiana for housing immigration detainees at the Miami Correctional Facility, though details are still being worked out.

Braun announced on Aug. 1 the state will provide up to 1,000 beds for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees at the prison. In an interview with News 8, Braun said the state won’t need to add any infrastructure for the facility, so he does not expect the issues with sanitation and overcrowding that have been reported at facilities, such as the ICE facility in Florida, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by the agency.

“We ought to be in good shape when it comes to the condition of the place,” Braun said. “The beds were available. So, we are not going to be contributing in any way to a sanctuary state, and if we do have the facilities, we’re going to make sure that they’re usable. We’re not building anything new, we’re taking capacity we already have.”

Braun said the federal government will reimburse the state for its use of the prison. He said officials are still finalizing the details, but he expects Indiana will at least be reimbursed for the direct costs. He said he does not know when the Miami Correctional Facility will begin housing ICE detainees.

Shortly after the announcement, the Department of Homeland Security dubbed the facility the “Speedway Slammer,” and posted artwork on social media depicting an Indy car with ICE livery in front of an image of a prison. Indianapolis Motor Speedway criticized the use of its intellectual property without its knowledge or consent. Braun told News 8 he thought DHS “might have gotten ahead of their skis on that one,” but he agreed with the underlying message that Indiana would help remedy the issue of illegal immigration.

All INdiana Politics airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV.

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