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Rokita threatens legal action against two more police departments over sanctuary city law

A neon sign reading "Police" hangs in a window. A county courthouse is seen in the window's reflection.
FILE PHOTO: Justin Hicks
/
IPB News
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has sued or threatened to sue three cities and five law enforcement agencies across Indiana over the state's ban on so-called "sanctuary cities."

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is threatening two more law enforcement agencies with potential legal action over the state’s ban on sanctuary cities.

Rokita sent demands Wednesday to the South Bend and Seymour Police Departments for information on their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Republican legislators this year empowered Rokita to enforce a state law that bans local governments from restricting cooperation with federal officials over citizenship or immigration information.

In a statement, a South Bend city spokesperson called the investigation “misguided.” She said the city and its police follow all federal and state laws and will cooperate with Rokita’s office.

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The Seymour city attorney said in a statement Rokita’s accusations have no legal or factual basis. And she said the Seymour Police Department “looks forward to demonstrating its adherence to federal and state law.”

Rokita has previously sued or threatened to sue three cities and three law enforcement agencies over the sanctuary city law.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

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Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state. He previously worked at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and WSPY in Plano, Illinois. His first job in radio was in another state capitol - Jefferson City, Missouri - as a reporter for three stations around the Show-Me State.