Congressman Demands End to ICE Detention at Indiana Prison Following Oversight Visit and Two Deaths in Custody

Congressman André Carson is sounding the alarm on the brutal conditions faced by ICE detainees at Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana, demanding an end to the practice of housing immigrants there. His call comes after two detainees died in custody within months—Lorth Sim in February and Tuan Van Bui in April—raising urgent questions about medical neglect and facility management.

Carson, a Democrat representing Indiana’s 7th District, toured the maximum-security prison with faith leaders and immigrant advocates. He described detainees as nonviolent individuals subjected to “fear and chaos” under the Trump administration’s ICE operations, which he bluntly labeled a “Gestapo” abandoning law and order.

Testimonies from detainees reveal a grim picture: poor living conditions, limited access to medical care, no clean clothes, irregular meals, and a dysfunctional intercom system that may have contributed to delayed emergency responses. One detainee reportedly screamed for help but was dismissed as joking, a failure Carson believes could have prevented at least one death.

Miguel Avila, a Mexican immigrant who endured nine months in ICE detention, shared the psychological trauma inflicted on detainees and their families—stress and despair that leave lasting scars. Now an advocate, Avila visits detention centers to bear witness to the human toll behind the cold statistics.

The Indiana Department of Correction began holding male ICE detainees last October under a two-year contract allowing up to 1,000 beds at Miami Correctional, though only about 600 are currently in use. Carson praised prison staff but highlighted dangerous short-staffing and called on state lawmakers to see the conditions firsthand before continuing support.

Adding to the facility’s grim record, a third death occurred in early April—a state inmate named Shawn Booker is under investigation by Indiana State Police.

Carson and immigrant rights activists urge the public to pressure elected officials to stop ICE detentions at Miami Correctional. Their message is clear: these detainees are fathers, brothers, and sons, not criminals deserving of neglect and abuse. The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement apparatus continues to operate with impunity, but accountability is long overdue.