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Emigration and immigration

Indiana to House 1,000 ICE Detainees at Miami Correctional Facility

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The State of Indiana has reached a partnership with the federal government to make 1,000 existing beds at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill available for immigration detention. The decision has sparked confusion among the public, with some outlets misreporting that a new construction project would add 1,000 beds. The federal government plans to use the existing capacity to increase its detention capacity nationwide, using the term "Speedway Slammer" to describe the partnership.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana will make 1,000 existing beds available to the federal government for immigration detention, not 1,000 new beds as previously reported.
  • The partnership is unrelated to the construction of a new 4,200 bed-facility in LaPorte County, which is expected to open in 2027 and cost $1.2 billion.
  • The federal government plans to replicate this deal "nationwide," calling it a "cost-effective" way to increase capacity and "swiftly" deport detainees.
  • The Indiana Department of Correction has implemented "setbacks" to save on energy expenses for empty buildings, but cannot let the temperature or humidity "deviate or you start getting structural issues."
  • The agency's commissioner, Lloyd Arnold, will answer questions about the costs of hosting federal detainees.
  • Indiana Governor Mike Braun called the cost question "a valid issue" and indicated that the state should be compensated for its efforts.

Statistics:

  • 1,200 beds out of a total of 3,100 at the Miami Correctional Facility are not filled.
  • 4,200 beds will be available at the new prison in LaPorte County, which is expected to open in 2027 and cost $1.2 billion.
  • 1,000 existing beds will be made available at the Miami Correctional Facility for immigration detention.
  • The federal government plans to increase capacity nationwide using the "Speedway Slammer" partnership.

Sources:

  • https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/05/kristi-noem-dubs-indiana-miami-correctional-as-speedway-slammers-immigration-alligator-alcatraz/85532322007/
  • https://wibc.com/698926/indiana-to-house-1000-ice-detainees-in-speedway-slammer-expansion/
  • https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/1952848368054730963
  • https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1952857892383859197

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