City of East Chicago repeals ‘welcoming city’ ordinance, AG drops lawsuit

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita celebrates his office's victory over the city of East Chicago in a video released Tuesday. (Screenshot)

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita on Tuesday celebrated the city of East Chicago’s repeal of its “welcoming city” ordinance — just three weeks after he initiated a lawsuit alleging the policy runs afoul of a state ban.

His office dismissed the lawsuit in response.

Indiana AG Todd Rokita sues East Chicago over ‘sanctuary city’ policies

“We are pleased East Chicago will no longer operate as a sanctuary city, giving safe harbor to illegal aliens, and are now following state law,” Rokita said in a news release.

“ This is a big win for hardworking Hoosiers and legal immigrants who came to our great nation the right way,” he continued.

Indiana Code has long barred local governments and their employees from refusing to communicate or cooperate with federal immigration authorities about the immigration status — lawful or unlawful — of an individual.

The General Assembly approved that ban in 2011, but it didn’t stop some local units from passing “sanctuary city” or “welcoming city” ordinances.

East Chicago’s 2017 ordinance, as cited in Rokita’s complaint, barred law enforcement from:

• requesting information about — or otherwise investigating or assisting in — the investigation of a person’s citizenship or immigration status;
• detaining a person based upon an immigration detainer, administrative warrant, or “[a]ny other basis that is based solely on the belief that the person is not present legally in the United States, or that the person has committed a civil immigration violation”; and
• working with federal agencies “to support or assist in any capacity with immigration enforcement operations,” or cooperating with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unless presented with a criminal warrant.

The city council voted to repeal the ordinance on July 24, and Mayor Anthony Copeland approved the move on July 26, the city clerk’s office told the Capital Chronicle.

Rokita said his office would continue “exercising our new enforcement authority by pushing forward with” a lawsuit against Monroe County over a similar policy.

Lawmakers last session gave his office the power to enforce the ban on such ordinances. That came after Indiana’s two highest courts dismissed resident-led lawsuits aimed at East Chicago and the city of Gary for a lack of standing and injury.

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