Indiana Judiciary Committee advances wide-ranging immigration bill after contentious hearing

House Bill 15-31, an omnibus immigration measure authored by Rep. Chris Prescott, advanced out of the Indiana House Judiciary Committee on a 9-4 roll call after more than two hours of testimony from state officials, sheriffs, business groups and immigrant advocates.

The bill, as amended in committee, requires local governmental entities to respond to federal immigration detainer requests, creates a civil enforcement pathway led by the attorney general, expands a state-level prohibition on knowingly employing unauthorized workers while preserving an E-Verify safe harbor option, and adds data-sharing and reporting requirements including a new parole-sponsor filing tied to the Department of Revenue.

The bill’s author, Representative Prescott, summarized the legislation at the hearing: “House bill 15 31 is a various immigration bill that I’ve been working on the past few months, with the attorney general’s office and other various parties,” and said the measure had been modified in committee to remove and clarify several provisions.

Why it matters: Supporters say the bill addresses gaps in the state’s ability to respond to interior immigration enforcement and to curb illegal employment; opponents say it will chill immigrant cooperation with police, risk Fourth Amendment litigation, and could harm students and families by creating fear of enforcement.

What the bill does (high-level)

- Detainer obligations: The amended bill directs that governmental bodies must document ICE immigration detainer requests, notify judges in bail proceedings, and comply with authorized immigration officer requests for custody within a 48-hour administrative window. The committee adopted language replacing some “federal authority” references with “authorized immigration officer.”

- Employer enforcement and safe harbors: The measure makes it unlawful for an employer to knowingly or intentionally recruit, hire or employ an unauthorized alien; it creates an…