'This is dangerous. It's racist. And it's wrong,' Refugee group locks doors to protect clients
A refugee center with offices in Bloomington and Indianapolis announced it's locking its doors amid President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.
On Wednesday, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order directing police to "fully cooperate" with federal authorities on immigration.
At the same time, legislation is being discussed that would require sheriffs to enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to participate in the 287(g) program. This program grants trained deputies the right to enforce immigration laws within their jurisdiction.
Exodus Refugee Immigration, which helps refugees and asylees from many countries, posted on social media that until further notice, the organization is locking its main doors and moving client appointments, English classes, cultural orientation classes, and other programming off-site or virtual.
"Our clients shouldn't be afraid to walk down the street, to take their children to school, or to go to the bus stop," Exodus Refugee Immigration wrote on Facebook. "The executive order signed today by Governor Braun perpetuates the baseless idea that most immigrants are criminals ... This is dangerous. It's racist. And it's wrong."
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The organization said it would protect clients from being "illegally or unjustly detained by ICE or by anyone cooperating with ICE."
CEO Cole Varga told IndyStar that they do not want to put their clients' safety or futures at risk during this chaotic time by congregating at their offices.
"This decision was made in response to the many anti-immigrant Executive Orders issued by President Trump as well as yesterday's unnecessary Executive Order issued by Governor Braun," Varga said. "The President and Governor may believe what they want about immigrants, but the facts are more important. Immigrants are integral parts of our communities and contribute in critical ways."
Less than three years ago, about 6.2 percent of the state's residents were foreign-born making up over 422,600 immigrants in Indiana, according to the American Immigration Council. Many immigrants come from Mexico, India, Nigeria, China, and Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Also, according to the council, immigrants make up over 276,100 of Indiana's labor force and support the state's economy by accounting for over 25,200 entrepreneurs, 13.5 percent of STEM workers, and 19 percent of postsecondary teachers in the state. Those numbers have steadily increased every year.
The council reports there are 26,700 international students in Indiana. At Indiana University, more than 10,000 students enrolled in the spring 2024 semester were foreign born, with nearly 7,000 of them enrolled at the Bloomington campus.
Immigrants have also paid over $4 billion in taxes, according to the American Immigration Council.
The conversation from Indiana lawmakers surrounding immigration solely focused on criminal activity but groups like Exodus Refugee Immigration worry their clientele will be targeted and detained by ICE even if they're not criminals.
In 2022, there were a little over 104,500 undocumented immigrants in the state with over 7,100 being undocumented entrepreneurs, according to the American Immigration Council.
Braun's executive order states that Indiana law enforcement agencies must "fully cooperate" with ICE and enter into agreements with the feds to "perform the functions of immigration officers." Braun's order says he "requests and encourages" this.
"I'm going to direct any of our authorities to not resist, and hopefully they'll be compliant on their own," Braun told reporters Tuesday. "And I think a large part of the jurisdictions across our state will be without any push from this office."
Varga told IndyStar the latest immigration moves are history repeating.
"One group is being unjustly demonized for the problems of a country while oligarchs consolidate power and ignore the constitution," Varga said. "I hope we find the redline sooner rather than later."
Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formally Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana refugee group locks doors to protect clients
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