Indiana’s Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita is suing a local sheriff and the St. Joseph County Police Department, accusing them of refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Rokita announced the lawsuit, alleging that St. Joseph County Sheriff William Redman and the local police department have failed to honor requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The lawsuit claims the department is not complying with ICE detainers, which are requests for local jails to notify federal authorities when individuals, who are in the country illegally, are about to be released from custody.
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“It’s sad, but local law enforcement here has become part of the problem. A big part. And I refuse as your attorney general to just stand by,” Rokita said.
Today, our office sued St. Joseph County Sheriff Redman and his department over their persistent practice of refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. This includes refusing to notify ICE properly about the release of ILLEGAL aliens and also refusing to honor… pic.twitter.com/geOAr9dD42
— AG Todd Rokita (@AGToddRokita) January 24, 2025
St. Joseph County Police Department denies allegations
In response to the lawsuit, the St. Joseph County Police Department posted a message on its Facebook page, rejecting the claims. The department stated that it has not been served with the lawsuit and accused Rokita of discussing the matter publicly before notifying them, saying that Redman had “never even spoken to Todd Rokita.”
The department further denied claims that it does not cooperate with ICE.
“When the jail receives a detainer or request from ICE, staff promptly informs immigration officials when that individual will be released on their criminal charges for detainment by ICE,” the post said.
It also noted that neither state nor federal law requires local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws.
Rokita responds with alleged evidence
The following day, Rokita responded on social media, posting screenshots of letters he sent to Redman and the police department in October and December 2024. Rokita said these letters were a formal notice regarding the sheriff’s failure to comply with immigration laws.
Rokita also shared a screenshot of ICE’s “Non-Cooperative Institutions” list, highlighting St. Joseph County’s inclusion.
“Sheriff Redman may claim that his department regularly communicates with ICE, but the truth is he isn’t cooperating or complying with the law like he’s supposed to,” Rokita wrote.
In a 2024 report, ICE designated St. Joseph County as a "Non-Cooperative Institution." This means that Sheriff Redman refuses to honor ICE detainers and instead releases criminal aliens back into the community before they can be taken into federal custody for removal.
— AG Todd Rokita (@AGToddRokita) January 25, 2025
Sheriff… pic.twitter.com/nPNapNf6IB
The lawsuit states that ICE verified with the attorney general’s office that the St. Joseph County Police Department ignored nine detainer requests between March and September 2024, with an additional four requests not honored since Dec. 10.
County officials respond to the lawsuit
Other local officials have voiced concerns about the lawsuit. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners also released a statement expressing their worry over the allegations.
“Failing to honor detainment requests for individuals who have committed serious crimes is reckless and a threat to all of us. Law enforcement is not above the law,” the statement read.
The sheriff has not yet commented on the lawsuit, and the department has not provided additional comments beyond their initial Facebook post.
