This new facility near Bunker Hill, Indiana will hold 1,000 beds.
First, there was Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz.” Now, there will soon be Indiana’s “Speedway Slammer,” as Gov. Mike Braun becomes the second governor to partner his state with the federal government to continue the mass removal of illegal immigrants by expanding detention bed space.
Few details about the facility were released but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that this facility will increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) detention space by 1,000 beds, made available at the Miami Correctional Facility near Bunker Hill, Indiana. “Speedway Slammer” references Indiana’s racing history, hosting the Indianapolis 500 every year.
“Today, we’re announcing a new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention bed space by 1,000 beds,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote Aug. 5 on X.
She thanked Braun for his partnership and urged any illegal immigrants viewing her social media post to take steps to self-deport rather than risk ending up at the new detention facility.
“If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana’s Speedway Slammer. Avoid arrest and self deport now using the @CBP Home App,” she said.
DHS said that ICE was partnering with Indiana Department of Corrections, and the “Slammer” would be home to “some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens arrested by ICE.”
It also credited the One Big Beautiful Bill for making the agreement possible, as it fully funded the DHS’s 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to assist in enforcing immigration law. The One Big Beautiful Bill also secured funding for 80,000 new beds for ICE’s detainment and deportation efforts.
“We are proud to work with President Trump and Secretary Noem as they remove the worst of the worst with this innovative partnership,” Braun said in a press release. “Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states.”
By T.J. Muscaro
