ICE protests held across the state
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Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Kamil Krzacynski/AFP via Getty Images
Thousands of Hoosiers gathered at dozens of prayer vigils, teach-ins and rallies across the state to protest the state's continued use of the Miami Correctional Facility to hold immigration detainees.
Why it matters: Opposition to the facility's use by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has grown as reports of deaths and poor conditions have emerged from the northern Indiana prison.
Driving the news: The "weekend of public witness" was created by the Indiana Organizing Project, a statewide group created earlier this year and dedicated to social and economic justice issues.
- Because the facility is state-owned, the group asserts that "every Hoosier carries a shared responsibility for the conditions inside."
What they're saying: "We know that Indiana does not want to see this because people are coming out and supporting the efforts to end ICE detention at Miami Correctional Facility," Rhonda Baker, with Indiana Organizing, said.
Catch up quick: The state agreed last year to use a wing of the state prison for ICE detainees. In exchange, the federal government would pay Indiana approximately $291 per bed per day.
- In June, the Department of Corrections said it had over 600 detainees at the facility and expected that number to increase.
- The two-year contract allows for up to 1,000 detainees.
By the numbers: At least two detainees have died at the facility and there's been reporting of widespread medical backlogs and staffing shortages.
- As of July, at least 19 detainees have died in ICE custody nationwide, and 31 died last year, according to data reviewed by Axios from the Detention Watch Network.
State of play: More than 50 events were held throughout the weekend, from South Bend to Evansville.
- A large crowd gathered for a protest in Muncie, while dozens attended a prayer vigil with a congregation of Catholic sisters in Vigo County, and more lined a busy intersection in Greenfield.
Congressman Andre Carson (D-Ind.) joined the effort, hosting a webinar as part of the weekend of action. Carson visited Miami Correctional in April.
- "From the start it's been clear that they simply were not prepared to fulfill their legal duty to the health and safety of those in custody … especially given the scale and speed of this administration's ICE enforcement."