INDIANAPOLIS – Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) is raising serious concerns about Senate Bill 430 (SB 430), which allows local law enforcement agencies to enter into 287(g) agreements, deputizing them to enforce federal immigration laws. At a time when local governments are facing budget shortfalls and law enforcement agencies are already stretched thin, this bill shifts the burden of federal law enforcement onto local police—while leaving taxpayers with the bill.

And yet, just last week, Gov. Mike Braun told local governments to “do more with less” while pitching his property tax cut proposal. Now, Republicans expect those same local governments to absorb the cost of a complex federal program with no guaranteed funding mechanism.

“You cannot tell counties to tighten their belts and then ask them to take on jobs that aren’t theirs,” Yoder said. “This bill puts unnecessary strain on law enforcement, communities and taxpayers. If immigration enforcement is truly a national priority, Congress must step up and take responsibility instead of leaving local governments scrambling to pay for it.”

A $60 Million Warning from New York: Who Pays When It Goes Wrong?

Yoder pointed out the real risk of increased costs when local Indiana governments face potential legal troubles. This isn’t hypothetical—it’s already happened elsewhere.

In Suffolk County, New York, local law enforcement entered a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—and the result was a $60 million settlement after they were sued for holding detainees at the request of the federal government beyond their release date. ICE isn’t covering that bill, local taxpayers are being forced to cover it.

“This should be a wake-up call for every county in Indiana,” said Yoder. “If this happens here, there will be no federal bailout. There will be no safety net. And when counties start facing budget shortfalls, who will be there to help them out?

“No one wants violent criminals on our streets. SB 430 does nothing to make Hoosiers safer—it drains resources, burdens local law enforcement and ignores the strains that local jails are already experiencing,” Yoder said. “If Washington believes immigration enforcement is a priority, then it must fully fund a real solution—not leave states and counties scrambling to clean up its mess. Instead of forcing this responsibility onto local governments, federal lawmakers need to step up with a plan that provides real funding, real support and real solutions. That’s leadership. SB 430 is not.”