ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) – Top officials in President Donald Trump’s administration said a new partnership with the state of Indiana would allow expanding an immigrant detention center, which would be the next “Alcatraz of the alligators.”
However, the deal has already drawn criticism in the state, starting with its eye-catching nickname “Speedway Slammer” (“Speedway Prison”), a nod to Indiana’s car-racing tradition.
Here’s a closer look at the agreement, the opposition, and Indiana’s role in Trump’s push to stop and deport people who are in the country illegally.
Speedway Slammer: More Beds, Not a New Building
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the deal on Tuesday night, saying Indiana would add 1,000 beds for detaining immigrants facing deportation under the resumption of a federal program.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted on social media an altered image of a race car bearing the ICE emblem, the acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The vehicle, an IndyCar, is shown racing past the wall of a prison topped with barbed wire.
“If you’re in the United States illegally, you could end up in Indiana’s ‘Speedway Slammer,’” Noem said, likening it to Florida’s controversial Everglades facility. She added that the new partnership “will help deport the worst of the worst in our country.”
However, the agreement with Indiana does not involve new construction.
Federal funds will be used to expand space at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Indianapolis. The prison has a total capacity of 3,100 beds, with about 1,200 beds currently unoccupied, according to Annie Goeller, a spokesperson for Indiana’s Department of Corrections (IDOC).
Officials did not specify when detentions would begin. “Details about the partnership and the best way the IDOC can support those efforts are still being determined,” Goeller said.
The agreement is part of the 287(g) program that Trump revived and expanded. The program delegates authority to enforce immigration laws to state and local law enforcement agencies. Immigrants, lawyers, and activists have raised several concerns about the program, including a lack of oversight.
The Florida detention facility has faced lawsuits and complaints about poor conditions inside and violations of detainees’ rights. Authorities have disputed the claims.
Indiana Governor, Republican Mike Braun, announced the federal partnership on Friday.
“Indiana is not a safe haven for illegal immigration,” the governor said. “Indiana will fully partner with federal immigration authorities as they enforce the core laws of our country.”
Speedway Slammer: Criticism Over the Name
The flashy name didn’t take long to draw criticism, particularly from the town of Speedway, a suburb of Indianapolis that hosts the iconic track where the Indianapolis 500 is run.
“This designation was developed and announced independently by the federal agency, without input from the town or any prior notice about the use of the ‘Speedway’ name,” said officials from the roughly 14,000-resident community. “Our focus remains on the well-being of our residents, businesses, and visitors.”
The name also took IndyCar officials by surprise.
“We were not aware of plans to incorporate our image as part of the announcement,” IndyCar said, adding that it wants its intellectual property “not to be used further in relation to this matter.”
The altered image used by the DHS shows an IndyCar with the number five, the same number carried by the car of the series’ only Mexican driver, Patricio O’Ward.
“I was a little surprised by the coincidence of that and, you know, what it implies,” O’Ward said on Wednesday. “I don’t think many people felt proud of that, to say the least.”
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said on Wednesday that he was not the one who gave the installation its name.
“But I will say this: the work of ICE, the men and women of ICE, is about doing their jobs with integrity and honor,” he told reporters at the White House. “I don’t want those names to take away from that.”
Speedway Slammer: Indiana Embraces Immigration Restrictions
The federal government has already identified Indiana as a key state for its immigration agenda.
Braun, a first-term governor and former U.S. senator, has been a staunch ally of Trump. In January he signed an executive order directing law enforcement agencies to cooperate “fully” with immigration enforcement.
Earlier this year, Indianapolis opened the country’s newest immigration court, aimed at addressing case backlogs and diverting and alleviating the congested Chicago immigration court.
Federal and state authorities are also exploring plans to use a central Indiana military base, Camp Atterbury, to temporarily house detainees.
“Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combat illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among the states,” Braun said in a Tuesday statement.
