With Indiana’s legislative session more than halfway over, Democrats and immigrants rights groups are fighting five bills.
The organizations gathered at the Statehouse on March 13 to share the success stories of migrants and to draw attention to what they see as misguided and harmful policies.
“These are going to have devastating consequences for all of us,” said Karla López Owens, director of community outreach for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and president of the Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus.
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Kelin Peraza-Argueta, who is part of North Central High School’s Hispanic Honor Society speaks at the event. -
Justin Heriberto Rojas attends the event, which addressed bills that would work against immigrant rights. -
Byron Ramirez, from Exodus Refugee Immigration, speaks at the event. -
Monica Casanova (second from left) attends the event March 13 at the Indiana Statehouse. -
Ashley Caceres, director of Su Casa in Seymour, Ind., speaks about the importance her community outreach work. -
North Central High School students attend an Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus press conference. Credit: Stephanie Amador for Mirror Indy -
Rep. Earl Harris Jr. speaks during an Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus press conference March 13, 2025. Credit: Stephanie Amador for Mirror Indy -
Someone takes video of Ashley Caceres, director of Su Casa in Seymour, Ind., speaking at the event.
Their opposition comes at a time when Republican members of Indiana’s congressional delegation have signed a letter urging state lawmakers to pass a bill designed to get local governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, said that bill, which he’s carrying, would ensure Indiana is “fully cooperating” with federal immigration officials.
“This bill would strengthen our commitment to upholding federal immigration laws while providing clear support and protections for local officials and law enforcement,” Prescott said in a statement following the bill’s passage from the House.
Republican leaders in the General Assembly have also signaled their support for immigration-related legislation.
Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order stating that all Indiana law enforcement agencies should “cooperate fully” with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both Senate Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, and House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, have also spoken favorably of their party’s efforts to target immigration.
“Immigration is a federal issue. We want to support our federal partners in that, and we’ll be looking to find that right balance,” Huston told reporters last month.
The Republican proposals are concerning to Rep. Victoria Garcia-Wilburn, D-Fishers, who was raised by migrant farmers in southwest Texas on land that once belonged to Mexico. She compared the current political moment to the Mexican Repatriation, a 1930s campaign by the U.S. border patrol to deport Mexicans, including many citizens born in the U.S.
“This is history repeating itself,” Wilburn said. “The environment we are creating is a hostile environment for people that want to claim the Hoosier State as their home. That is not Hoosier hospitality.”
House Bill 1393
House Bill 1393 would require police officers to notify the county sheriff’s office if they suspect that a person is in the U.S. without proper documentation. It would also protect officers who carry out such an order from facing civil litigation.
Author: Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg
Status: Approved by House; scheduled for a hearing in Senate Appropriations Committee, Room 130, 9 a.m., March 18
House Bill 1114
House Bill 1114 would make it a Class A misdemeanor to apply for a driver’s license or permit with the intent to transfer to an individual not entitled to a license or permit.
Author: Rep. Alex Zimmerman, R-North Vernon
Status: Approved by House; scheduled for a hearing in Senate Appropriations Committee, Room 130, 9 a.m., March 18
House Bill 1531
House Bill 1531 would allow the state attorney general to withhold state funding from governments that fail to comply with immigration detention orders. It would also allow the attorney general to suspend an employer’s license if the employer “knowingly or intentionally” employs someone suspected of being in the U.S. without proper documentation.
Author: Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City
Status: Approved by Senate; referred to House Ways and Means Committee
Senate Bill 430
Senate Bill 430 would give authority to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to provide grants to local law enforcement agencies that participate in the 287(g) program, which trains local law enforcement to carry out some of the functions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement within prisons and jails.
Authors: Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford; Sen. Michael Crider, R-Greenfield
Status: Approved by Senate; referred to House Ways and Means Committee
House Bill 1032
House Bill 1032 would prevent investors from countries listed as foreign adversaries from making investments in Indiana.
Author: Rep. Craig Haggard, R-Mooresville
Status: Approved by House; referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
How to testify on a bill
Members of the public can testify on bills during legislative committee hearings, which are normally held during the day.
To find out if a bill is going to be heard, go to the list of bills on the Indiana General Assembly website and see which committee it has been assigned to. If the committee has an upcoming hearing, it will appear on the committee’s agenda.
To testify, sign up in the committee room before the meeting begins.
Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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