SEYMOUR, Ind. (WDRB) -- Indiana's attorney general has issued civil investigative demands to the Seymour Police Department to review if its immigration policies comply with state law.
In a statement, Attorney General Todd Rokita said due to "ongoing concerns from community members and elected officials," his office would investigate.
The office has requested the police department's immigration-related communications, cooperation and enforcement policies.
“We are working to ensure units of local government are following the law,” Rokita said in his statement. “We are putting Hoosiers first – not illegal aliens."
The City of Seymour's attorney, Christina Engleking, said it's unclear what triggered Rokita's investigation into the city.
"We were kind of surprised to receive the investigative demand. That said, SPD and the City of Seymour fully intend to comply and be cooperative," Engleking said.
Rokita has launched the same type of investigation into South Bend, Indiana.
"If the documents produced show that either police department has unlawful immigration policies on the books, we will take action as warranted to ensure compliance with state law," he said.
Brookings, an American research firm that complied analysis in 2023, said Seymour's population has grown rapidly in the last 30 years, due in large part to a 174% increase in Hispanic/Latino populations.
Engleking said Seymour Police is fully compliant with the law.
“SPD works very well alongside their federal partners, and they cooperate fully with the exchanging of information and the sharing of resources," said Engleking.
Earlier this year, Rokita's office said it launched similar investigations for East Chicago, Gary, and West Lafayette, and all three worked to rescind unlawful immigration policies.
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