Marion County booking records show the Indianapolis jail held at least 1,057 people for immigration-related reasons in 2025, including nationals from 55 countries and more than 400 people from Mexico. Many were detained for weeks, with an average stay of about 22 days, and one man from India remained in custody for 222 days.
Those figures come from a review of public records that counted 1,094 bookings and 1,057 unique individuals at the Marion County Adult Detention Center last year, according to WFYI. The dataset shows Mexico accounted for 402 people, Guatemala 115 and Venezuela 114, and that ICE was listed as the arresting agency for 94.8% of the bookings.
Sheriff Cites Crowding And A Budget Shortfall
In January, Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal announced the jail had hit its financial cap and said his office would no longer hold people for ICE beyond 48 hours while the facility is over capacity. Forestal told WRTV the jail can physically hold about 2,900 people, but the city-county budget effectively limits paid beds to roughly 2,400. Housing one person costs about $82 a day, he said, while the state only reimburses about $42.
How Long People Stayed And Where They Went
WFYI's review found the average length of stay was about 22 days and that the jail released most people to federal custody when ICE picked them up. If ICE did not arrive within the 48‑hour detainer window, the sheriff’s current policy is to release the person, although holds tied to other federal agencies or U.S. Marshals bookings could extend stays.
Who Was Held And The Community Response
A 13 Investigates analysis reported that about 71% of those flagged had no criminal history in Indiana, and the dataset shows nearly all were men while only three women were identified in the records, per WTHR. Religious leaders and immigrant-rights groups criticized the jail’s role in federal enforcement, while the Fraternal Order of Police urged faster transfers by the state as a fix to overcrowding, according to reporting by the Indianapolis Star.
Statewide Picture
The Marion County figures arrive as Indiana has moved to expand detention capacity for immigration cases, including a plan announced last year to add 1,000 beds at the Miami Correctional Facility, according to The Guardian. Advocates warn sending detainees to distant or state-run prisons can make legal representation and family contact harder, deepening legal and human-rights concerns.
Legal Note
An executive order on the governor’s website directs state agencies to support federal immigration enforcement, and state law has been interpreted to limit local governments’ ability to refuse cooperation with ICE; the order is listed on the State of Indiana executive orders page. Attorney General Todd Rokita has also signaled he will enforce cooperation, making legal pushback a likely flashpoint.
What To Watch Next
Forestal has said he will press the City-County Council and the Indiana Department of Correction to speed transfers and address the roughly $2.7 million annual shortfall he blames for the squeeze, which will force ICE or other agencies to take custody faster under the 48‑hour rule, WRTV reports. Local advocates say they will continue pushing for alternatives to detention and better transparency about where people flagged in the jail’s records are being moved.
