Context: Amid Anti-ICE Protests and Escalating Federal Action, Rokita Pushes Jail Immigration Compliance in Indiana

Staff report

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — June 16, 2025

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is once again pushing a hardline stance on immigration enforcement, issuing new guidance to sheriffs across the state following what he called the “improper release” of a man wanted by federal authorities. The language and timing of his statement comes amid a wave of anti-ICE protests and militarized federal crackdowns.

Federal agents from ICE have been to Bloomington at least twice to arrest undocumented immigrants.

The press release from Rokita’s office refers to the man as an “illegal alien” — a term long rejected by legal scholars, journalists, and immigrant advocates alike. The Associated Press and most major newsrooms use “undocumented immigrant” or “noncitizen” to avoid dehumanizing language. “Alien” is a term rooted in exclusion and nativism, historically used to strip people of basic rights and personhood. “Illegal,” when applied to a human being, implies criminality merely for existing — which is inaccurate, since immigration violations are civil offenses in many cases, not criminal.

In the Randolph County case, 35-year-old Marcio Romero Torres was released from jail within seven hours of a traffic stop, despite reportedly being wanted for federal immigration violations. Rokita claims the jail failed to hold him per federal guidelines and is now warning sheriffs that similar “mistaken violations” of Indiana’s anti-sanctuary law won’t be tolerated.

Rokita has previously sued Monroe and St. Joseph Counties for what he described as “refusing to cooperate” with federal immigration enforcement. Monroe County includes Bloomington, a progressive college town that has repeatedly voted for inclusive policies and spoken out against ICE actions.

What’s missing in Rokita’s narrative is broader context: his press release comes as protests against ICE raids, immigration policy, and militarization are sweeping the country. Over the weekend, federal officers launched flash-bang grenades into a Los Angeles park during a peaceful protest, just hours before a military parade — featuring U.S. Army troops — marched past former President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on his birthday.

The moment evoked troubling historical parallels: in 1970, the National Guard killed four students at Kent State University while Americans protested the Vietnam War. Today, the Trump administration has gone even further — deploying U.S. Marines with live ammunition into Los Angeles. Unlike Kent State, where troops were requested by the governor, California’s National Guard was forcibly federalized. Trump declared the governor “should be arrested,” stripping state control from the Guard.

These authoritarian moves are not isolated incidents. On Sunday, Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social calling for the “largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” targeting cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. He claimed Democrats use “illegal aliens” to expand their voter base and welfare rolls — a conspiracy theory with no basis in fact. He further ordered ICE and other agencies to “GET THE JOB DONE,” citing crime, chaos, and “Third World Dystopia.”

In that context, Rokita’s language — particularly using “illegal alien” — seems less about law enforcement clarity and more about aligning with Trump’s extremist push for mass deportation and authoritarian federal control. By targeting sheriffs and threatening legal action, Rokita sends a clear message: local autonomy matters less than political loyalty to a federal crackdown.

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