Overview

• Indianapolis’ Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee voted Wednesday to advance the Marion County Sheriff’s Office 2026 budget, sending it to a full council vote on October 6.
• Attorney General Todd Rokita warned in a letter that using budget authority to pressure the sheriff to halt cooperation with ICE would violate Indiana law, citing remarks from a September 3 hearing.
• Councilors Dan Boots, Crista Carlino, and Michael-Paul Hart rejected the characterization, saying their scrutiny reflected routine funding issues such as jail needs, police morale, and vehicle replacements.
• Sheriff Kerry Forestal said the county jail currently houses about 100 ICE detainees on average, up from prior years, under long-running federal detention contracts including with the U.S. Marshals Service.
• Rokita’s office says it will act swiftly to enforce state law if needed, while the committee also confirmed the city’s Immigrant Legal Defense Fund will continue at last year’s level through alternative funding.