Garcia Wilburn calls for dignity and respect in immigration conversations, enforcement
Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Camp Atterbury, a military training facility licensed to the Indiana National Guard, will soon be used as an immigrant detention facility. Nationally, concerns have been raised about inhumane conditions at a Florida detention center, raising the question of whether federal authorities will treat detainees with dignity at Camp Atterbury.
In the wake of the Camp Atterbury announcement, State Rep. Andrew Ireland (R-Indianapolis) posted on X celebrating the news and suggested that Indiana's detainment facility be called "Cornfield Clink," a nod to President Trump's decision to refer to the Florida facility with inhumane conditions as "Alligator Alcatraz." In a follow-up post, he made a meme out of the supposed joke.
State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers), a law-and-order advocate, daughter of migrant farmers and person of faith, released the following statement calling on State Rep. Ireland to uphold the decorum of his office:
"As elected officials, we are tasked with upholding the Indiana Constitution and the U.S. Constitution as well as a standard of decorum befitting a public servant elected to represent over 60,000 Hoosiers. Given the reports out of Florida and elsewhere about inhumane, overcrowded conditions in immigration detention centers, it's disappointing to see State Rep. Ireland making a tasteless joke applauding another one of these facilities opening south of Indianapolis.
"I'm sad that one of my colleagues believes it appropriate to laugh at families being torn apart with no respect for the due process afforded to all people in our country. I believe in law and order carried out with care, concern and dignity. The casual dismissal of due process by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in arresting and deporting people without cause is a gross betrayal of our judicial system, institutions and the Constitution we are tasked to hold dear as public servants. New reporting from Axios released today showed that ICE has significantly increased its arrest of people with no criminal charges in Indiana over the past six months, up from 6% of arrests in January to 23% of arrests in June.
"Unfortunately, this hateful, anti-Christian attitude seeped into the legislative process this year during the discussion of immigration enforcement legislation. During the House Judiciary Committee's discussion of House Bill 1531, one testifier said that he was opposed to all immigration, not just undocumented immigration. At the time, I sounded the alarm that the tenor of this discussion would bear out unintended consequences for our state and precipitate hate against all immigrants, and I am sad to have been proven correct.
"I am generations of Americans. My family grew up poor, and my parents, if they were working today, could have been in Indiana's farm fields amid the ICE arrests of migrant farm labor. As American citizen stories of careless deportation are emerging, my parents could have been among them. I have been told time and time again by my legislative colleagues that Indiana is a pro-life, Christian state. I struggle to understand how belittling the real and devastating challenges faced by immigrants is befitting of any lawmaker representing a supposed pro-life, Christian state.
"I call on Rep. Ireland and my other General Assembly colleagues to recommit to a culture of respect for human dignity, civility and decorum befitting the office. We have many debates about tough topics at the General Assembly in which lawmakers can have legitimate, principled disagreement, but there is no need for those conversations to be cruel and hurtful.
"Finally, I want to close by sharing remarks from Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). As a Catholic, I appreciate his moral call during this difficult time for immigrants and those who know and love them:
"'Law enforcement actions aimed at preserving order and ensuring community security are necessary for the common good. However, the current efforts go well beyond those with criminal histories. In the context of a gravely deficient immigration system, the mass arrest and removal of our neighbors, friends and family members on the basis of immigration status alone, particularly in ways that are arbitrary or without due process, represent a profound social crisis before which no person of good will can remain silent. The situation is far from the communion of life and love to which this nation of immigrants should strive. …
"'On behalf of my brother bishops, I want to assure all of those affected by actions which tear at the fabric of our communities of the solidarity of your pastors. As your shepherds, your fear echoes in our hearts and we make your pain our own. Count on the commitment of all of us to stand with you in this challenging hour.'"