Indiana's GOP congressional members pen letter supporting state immigration bill. What it does
Republican members of Indiana's congressional delegation sent a letter to Republican Statehouse leaders on Wednesday urging support of an immigration bill that would tie local government funding to whether entities cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement.
House Bill 1531 says federal immigration laws can be carried out by state and local law enforcement and gives the attorney general the ability to advise the governor on whether to withhold funding from a local government that does not comply with immigration laws. Among other pieces of the bill, it also prohibits employers from hiring a person who is not legally allowed in the U.S.
The bill, authored by Union City Republican Rep. JD Prescott, passed the House last month and is now in the hands of the Senate.
The letter, led by U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, is also signed by Sen. Todd Young and Republican U.S. Reps. Rudy Yakym, Marlin Stutzman, Jim Baird, Mark Messmer and Erin Houchin. Republican Reps. Victoria Spartz and Jefferson Shreve did not sign onto the letter shared with IndyStar.
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The letter, which is addressed to House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, and Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, calls HB 1531 a "commonsense measure" and says the bill would "go a long way toward addressing many of the immigration-related challenges our state faces."
"States can and should play a key role in restoring integrity to our immigration system and protecting Americans from the social and economic costs of unrestrained migration," the letter states. "There is no reason why Indiana should not be a leader in that effort."
Banks has written to Indiana lawmakers in the past about state legislation, but the delegation as a whole doesn't often publicly wade into discussions of state legislation. In 2024, Banks and then-Sen. Mike Braun, wrote to members of the Indiana General Assembly in support of a bill that bars foreign adversaries from owning or leasing farmland in Indiana. Former Gov. Eric Holcomb signed that bill into law last year.
On immigration in 2025, Banks has specifically advocated for more cooperation on federal immigration enforcement from state and local entities. In February, he told a local TV station that he would consider withholding federal grants for Indianapolis police after IMPD Police Chief Chris Bailey said the agency does not have the authority to enforce federal immigration law.
HB 1531 is one of at least 15 bills targeting illegal immigration that were filed at the Statehouse this year.
Only a handful of them are still making their way through the legislative process. Some of those include:
House Bill 1393, which requires law enforcement to notify their county sheriff if they have arrested someone for a misdemeanor or felony and have probable cause to believe that person is not legally in the U.S.
Senate Bill 430, which would provide grants to law enforcement agencies for participating in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement's 287(g) program for immigration enforcement training.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana congressional Republicans urge support of immigration bill
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