Lawmakers push wave of immigration bills aligned with Trump agenda

Indiana lawmakers are weighing several immigration enforcement bills this session. Most of the proposed legislation aligns with the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and Gov. Mike Braun’s priority to continue enforcement through partnerships with federal authorities. 

Broadly, these bills are about removing any separation between local government and federal immigration enforcement. The proposals would force local cops to honor federal detainer requests and punish cities that try to shield residents from deportation. Lawmakers are also looking to curb employers who hire undocumented workers and give the attorney general more authority to sue schools and cities that don't comply.

The volume and intensity of the legislation have drawn sharp criticism from advocates. Attorney and community activist Karla Lopez Owens has been actively involved speaking on immigration bills at the Statehouse over the years.

“This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and that is reflected, I think, in the amount of unprecedented anti immigration bills introduced last session, and then this session,” Lopez Owens said.

In the 2025 legislative  session several immigration-related bills were introduced but none made it to the governor’s desk. Republican lawmakers have reworked and reintroduced them alongside new proposals.

Lawmakers must conclude the session by March 14. Here is a breakdown of the key immigration legislation currently moving through the Statehouse. 

Welfare and enforcement reporting (SB 76)
Senate Bill 76 would require law enforcement to comply with detainer requests from federal agencies. It would also require the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to submit reports to lawmakers on the immigration status for people accessing Medicaid and SNAP, and allow the attorney general’s office to investigate employers for hiring unauthorized workers.

Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne) said she wrote the bill because, “our citizens want to understand that our immigration laws that are on the books are being enforced federally, and of course, in the State of Indiana, which we’re all in favor of.”

In a December Judiciary Committee hearing Rachel Van Tyle, Director of Legal Services at Exodus Refugee Immigration, questioned the legality of welfare program recipients’ information being shared to people outside the program administration.

“It seems to me that the underlying purpose of this is to get their home address and things like that so you can aid in enforcement,” Van Tyle said.

Erin Tuttle representing the attorney general’s office spoke against the bill telling lawmakers to support Senate Bill 122 and House Bill 1039 instead.

The FAIRNESS Act  (SB 122, HB 1039)
Senate Bill 122 and House Bill 1039 return from last session. Backed by Attorney General Todd Rokita the bills would make federal immigration detainment requests mandatory for local law enforcement, tighten restrictions on sanctuary cities and expand the attorney general's powers to investigate and represent certain immigration issues.

Referred to as The FAIRNESS Act, the language was first unveiled last fall when Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, visited Indiana.

E-Verify (SB 87)
When presenting Senate Bill 87 during a committee hearing, author Sen. Greg Goode (R-Terre Haute) made it clear, “by getting behind this legislation, we’re doing our part to ensure a legal immigration process.”

The legislation would require contractors that work on government-paid projects to use the federal employee verification program, known as E-Verify, to ensure employees are legally allowed to work. If the company is caught knowingly employing someone without legal status, it would be barred from public funded projects for one year.

However, Matt Bell, a lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana, warned the bill puts all liability on the general contractor if subcontractors are found to violate the proposed legislation.

Opponents also pointed out complications that could arise from E-Verify having a history of issues with flagging workers who have legal status and the program’s unreliability during a government shutdown. Bell said it could take around eight days to challenge a failed E-Verify report.

“As a general contractor, what are you to do for those subcontractors who run into that issue, and are you willing to delay and cause extra cost to city budgets that are already strained simply because we’re now creating a new level of accountability and liability,” Bell said.

Employment visa program (HB 1422)
House Bill 1422 would give hiring preference to a U.S. citizen or foreign national over anyone who is not a lawful resident if both were equally qualified for a job. It would also restrict access of state agencies from sponsoring a person for a new H-1B visa after July 1, 2026, without approval from the attorney general. Rep. Zach Payne (R-Charlestown) wrote the legislation. 

According to federal data, Indiana had 2,784  H-1B recipients as of last September. Elevance Health, Indiana University Indianapolis, Eli Lilly & Co. and Purdue University had the highest number of workers with the visas.

Foreign adversaries (HB 1099)
Rep. Matt Commons (R-Williamsport) introduced House Bill 1099 to restrict landownership and educational pathways for non-U.S. citizens. The legislation would restrict foreign individuals and businesses from purchasing property in Indiana.

It would also create a list of countries restricted from attending public universities in certain fields. An amendment would allow students into an institution's program but only after a complete review by the state. The review process could take a few weeks to complete. The bill lists China, Iran, North Korea and Russia as “foreign adversaries” and  “qualifying programs” includes several engineering courses, A.I., computer science, and microbiology fields. The state education secretary would have the power to update the list with a 30-day notice to schools of the change required. Students already enrolled before the bill would go into effect in August, would be allowed to continue their studies.

Local public work project bidding (SB 170)
Senate Bill 170 includes language that would require companies bidding on a public works project costing at least $300,000 to provide E-Verify identification numbers to the project owner. The language from Sen. Dan Dernulc’s (R-Highland) is similar to SB 87 but with a more limited scope.

Naturalization examination (HB 1160)
Students in the 8th grade would be required to take the naturalization exam given by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services starting in the next school year, under House Bill 1160. Author Rep. Matt Commons (R-Williamsport) also wants to make the exam a graduation requirement:   Starting in the 2030-31 school year high schoolers would be required to score at least 70% in order to earn a diploma.

Protection from immigration status disclosure (SB 133)
Authored by Sen. J.D. Ford (D-Indianapolis) and Sen. Rodney Pol (D-Chesterton) Senate Bill 133 would prohibit law enforcement from requesting verification of citizenship or immigration status of an individual receiving emergency medical assistance. It would also protect individuals with the person receiving medical care from being questioned about their immigrant status.

Contact WFYI All Things Considered newscaster and reporter Samantha Horton at shorton@wfyi.org or on Signal at SamHorton.05