Controversial alliance for immigrant detention centers, modeled after a famous Indiana race track, sparking criticisms
In a move that has sparked controversy, the Indiana Department of Correction has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand immigration detention capacity. The partnership, which involves adding 1,000 beds at the Miami Correctional Center, will turn the maximum-security state prison into what is being referred to as the "Speedway Slammer."
The facility, named after the nearby town of Speedway, an Indianapolis suburb with a population of roughly 14,000 residents, is intended to house criminal immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This arrangement follows a similar model to the controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" migrant detention center in Florida.
However, the expansion has been met with significant opposition by immigrant advocacy organizations. Concerns have been raised about the use of a maximum-security prison for immigrant detention, the treatment and classification of detainees, overcrowding, inadequate medical care, poor sanitation, denial of legal counsel access, and the use of solitary confinement as retaliation for complaints.
Immigrant justice groups also criticize the 287(g) program and the use of state correctional facilities for immigration detention, fearing that it exacerbates rights violations and reduces oversight. Reports document systemic failures in ensuring ICE detention centers meet mandated standards, with some facilities operating under substandard conditions despite official inspections.
The town of Speedway has expressed disapproval over the use of its name for the federal immigration detention facility. IndyCar officials have also asked that their intellectual property not be utilized in relation to the matter, following the use of an AI-generated image of an IndyCar with "ICE" on the side. IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward expressed his disapproval, stating it didn't make a lot of people proud.
President Trump's border policy advisor, Tom Homan, has defended the work of ICE, while Republican Gov. Mike Braun first announced the federal partnership on Friday. Details about the partnership and how the Indiana Department of Correction can best support the efforts are still being determined.
Meanwhile, the nation's newest immigration court opened in Indianapolis earlier this year as a way to address the backlog and divert cases from the busy courthouse in Chicago. The deal is part of the decades-old 287(g) program, which President Trump has revived and expanded.
In a separate development, a sanctuary law aimed to "Trump-proof" California on immigration was signed into law in 2017, limiting state and local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration agents.
The controversy surrounding the "Speedway Slammer" continues to unfold, with many questioning the impact on the rights and welfare of immigrants facing deportation.
- The Indiana Department of Correction's partnership with DHS to expand immigration detention capacity at the Miami Correctional Center has been met with opposition by immigrant justice groups, who are concerned about the treatment and classification of detainees.
- Presiding over California, a new sanctuary law was signed in 2017, limiting state and local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration agents.
- The nation's newest immigration court opened in Indianapolis this year as a means to address the backslog and divert cases from the busy courthouse in Chicago, marking a part of the decades-old 287(g) program that President Trump has revived and expanded.
- IndyCar officials have expressed disapproval over the use of their intellectual property in relation to the "Speedway Slammer," a federal immigration detention facility named after the nearby town of Speedway.
- Critics of the controversial "Speedway Slammer" expansion, including immigrant advocacy organizations, have raised concerns about the use of a maximum-security prison for immigrant detention, inadequate medical care, poor sanitation, denial of legal counsel access, and the use of solitary confinement as retaliation for complaints.
