An open to letter to our state leaders on the “mass deportation rally”

The participation of Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith and Attorney General Todd Rokita in last weekend’s so-called “Mass Deportation Rally” in Central Indiana is deeply troubling and represents a profound failure to uphold the responsibility entrusted to them as public officials. 

Beckwith and Rokita swore an oath to uphold a Constitution that promises equal protection and dignity for all people. Their participation in this event lends the power and legitimacy of their offices to an event intentionally designed to inflame division and racist sentiment.

This rally is taking place against the backdrop of an unprecedented expansion of immigration enforcement that has had deadly consequences. Human Rights Watch reports that at least 52 people have died in ICE custody during the first 500 days of the current administration, with the mortality rate increasing approximately 140% over the previous year, even after accounting for the dramatic increase in the detained population. These deaths have raised serious concerns about inadequate medical care, lack of oversight, and conditions within immigration detention facilities.

At the same time, communities across the country and in Indiana have documented immigration enforcement tactics that rely on racial profiling. Court filings in ongoing litigation and our own Hoosier neighbors have alleged that ICE agents detained people, including U.S. citizens, because they appeared Latino, and recent evidence has revealed the use of racist slurs by agents during enforcement operations.

These realities cannot be separated from the rhetoric surrounding “mass deportation.” Such rhetoric disproportionately targets Black and Brown communities, fosters suspicion toward immigrants and U.S. citizens alike, and creates an environment in which families live in fear of being stopped, questioned, or detained based simply on how they look or where they come from.

Immigrants are our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and family members. Many have lived in Indiana for decades, contributing to our economy, enriching our communities, paying taxes, raising children, and building businesses. While our nation can and should have thoughtful discussions about immigration policy and border security, reducing complex issues to slogans about mass deportation dehumanizes entire communities and fuels hostility toward people who simply seek safety and opportunity.

Public officials should be working to solve problems, not inflame them. Hoosiers face significant challenges, including affordability, access to health care and housing, and funding for public education. Rather than focusing on these issues, Lieutenant Governor Beckwith and Attorney General Rokita have chosen to associate themselves with an event specifically designed to create “a raging inferno” according to its organizer.

History teaches us that when political leaders normalize rhetoric targeting entire groups of people, the consequences extend far beyond politics. We are seeing those consequences today as aggressive ICE enforcement, racial profiling, and conditions in immigration detention have separated families, harmed communities, and contributed to preventable suffering and deaths in custody. 

We, the undersigned, unequivocally condemn this event and participation by members of Indiana’s executive branch, and call on leaders across Indiana - regardless of party - to do the same. We reject the use of racial division and dehumanization as political tools, and we stand instead for an Indiana that values the dignity, safety, and humanity of every person.

Signed,

Indivisible Evansville

We invite you to join the below list of organizations and sign on to this letter.

Muncie Resists
Indivisible South Central Indiana
Indivisible Fishers Resists
Indivisible Boone Indiana
Indivisible Central Indiana
Indivisible Southern Indiana
Fort Wayne Resists
IndivisibleNWI
Indivisible Southeast Indiana
TiptonCoIN Indivisible
Michiana Alliance for Democracy 
Greater Lafayette Indivisible
Indivisible Wabash Valley
Indivisible Westfield
Westside Indy Indivisible Resistance Movement
Indivisible Northeast Indiana
Elkhart County Indivisible
Wayne County Indivisible
River City Rising
Veterans For Peace Chapter 104 (Evansville)
Veterans For Peace Chapter 49 (Indianapolis)
Palestine Solidarity Coalition of Southern Indiana
Faith in Place
Secular Education Association
Mary Allen for Congress
Sally Busby, Candidate for Indiana State House, District 78 
Cindi Clayton, Candidate for Indiana State Senate, District 49
Mason Barclay, Candidate for Indiana State House, District 75
Lena Goffinet, Candidate for Indiana State House, District 74
MWR Designs
Bee Sharp Sharpening
Sprout Design
College Democrats at the University of Southern Indiana
Student Progressive Union