Photo: Seventy-four people representing Plainfield, Fairfield, Mooresville and Kokomo Monthly Meetings in addition to St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church and Plainfield United Methodist Church listen to Josih Hostetler (Fairfield) describe conditions that people who are detained experience.
Quaker Meetings and individuals who support Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation supported Weekend of Public Witness sponsored by The Indiana Organizing Project Saturday, August 29.
Information from Indiana Organizing Project
Thousands of Hoosiers across Indiana gathered peacefully this weekend at more than 60 local prayer vigils, teach-ins, and rallies to call on Governor Mike Braun to End ICE Detention at Miami Correctional. This Weekend of Public Witness is organized by the Indiana Organizing Project.
The State of Indiana currently holds approximately 800 ICE detainees at Miami Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Bunker Hill, Indiana. Despite Governor Braun’s previous declarations that immigration enforcement should focus on “the worst first”, national data reveals that over 70% of ICE detainees have never been convicted of a crime. These detentions inflict devastating trauma on families and communities across the state. Nearly every family supported by local mutual aid networks includes U.S. citizen children and spouses who are left without primary breadwinners while navigating complex legal systems.
While Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) Commissioner Lloyd Arnold previously acknowledged the partnership by stating, “We would not be doing it if there were not a built-in profit,” Hoosiers reject the monetization of human suffering. Furthermore, with potentially high litigation costs, it is increasingly possible that the State of Indiana will lose money on this ordeal.
Here is what has already been uncovered in the first year of ICE detention at Miami Correctional:
- Severe Staffing Shortages: A Miami Correctional officer stated in March that the facility was short approximately 34% of the staffing needed to house the number of inmates and detainees currently on site.[1]
- Preventable Detainee Deaths: Two ICE detainees died in custody within six weeks of each other in early 2026. Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian refugee and diabetic, died on February 16 after being denied his prescribed metformin. Tuan Van Bui, a 55-year-old Vietnamese national, died on April 1 after collapsing in his unit while emergency medical assistance took up to 45 minutes to respond.
- Falsified Medical Backlogs: Investigations revealed for-profit contractor Centurion Health reported zero weekly backlogs to avoid $5,000 weekly state fines, while internal emails showed actual backlogs of 379 chronic care patients and 73 sick calls in a single week.
- Civil Rights & Medical Neglect Lawsuits: In July 2026, the ACLU of Indiana filed federal lawsuits on behalf of former detainee Andranik Grigoryan, alleging that missed anti-seizure medication caused him to suffer a severe head injury, after which correctional officers pepper-sprayed him while he was still injured.
In response to growing public pressure and media investigations, Governor Braun ordered an internal IDOC audit of the facility in late July 2026. However, community leaders emphasize that an audit is not enough—the state must terminate the contract entirely.
Because Miami Correctional is the only state-run facility housing ICE detainees in Indiana, every Hoosier carries a shared responsibility for the treatment of those inside. This weekend, communities in 55+ towns and cities across Indiana are rising in unified public witness to demand dignity, accountability, and an immediate end to ICE detention at Miami Correctional Facility.
Citations:
Adamson, Hannah, WANE.com, September 17, 2025.
Network Indiana. “Braun on Immigration.”
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[1] Stated by Officer James Stamper in volunteer orientation at Miami Correctional Facility. March 20, 2025.