The Michigan City Common Council unanimously passed a resolution on Sept. 2 urging the state of Indiana to honor a December 2024 letter of intent that would have transferred the Indiana State Prison property to the city for redevelopment after the facility’s planned decommissioning. The resolution also states the council’s opposition to any reuse of the site as an immigration-detention facility or for other purposes that would, in the council’s words, “undermine the city's vision for equitable economic growth and community revitalization.”

The resolution recites that the December 2024 letter of intent was intended to provide a pathway for community-led reimagination of the site and notes the city’s prior investment of staff time, community outreach and professional services toward a redevelopment plan. The council resolution says the state rescinded that commitment in late August and expresses concern about reports that the state may continue to operate the prison beyond 2027 or repurpose the property in ways inconsistent with the city’s redevelopment plans.

The resolution directs the city clerk to transmit a copy of the council’s resolution, along with letters of community support attached to the council record, to the governor, the commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction and the La Porte County legislative delegation. The council’s recorded vote was unanimous.