The Town Council has taken a clear stance, opposing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention or processing facility in Merrillville.
The position was formalized unanimously by adopting a resolution during Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, being proactive rather than reactive. The action came after more than 40 minutes of emotional public comment, all of which against an ICE facility in Merrillville.
Council President Rick Bella said. “We are making it clear now that a detention or processing facility does not align with Merrillville’s values, planning standards or vision for the future.”
Tuesday’s action stems from reports that the federal government is exploring the use of large industrial warehouses as immigration processing or detention facilities, and that Merrillville was identified as a possible location for such a facility.
Merrillville has received no notice from ICE/DHS or any federal agency regarding this matter, the council decided it was necessary to clearly state the town’s position on this situation.
Warehouses in Merrillville were approved and built based on industrial use. They weren’t designed for human occupancy at detention-scale levels. If such a conversion happened, it would place unanticipated demands on police, fire, emergency services, as well as other public resources like water and sewer utilities. Any facility that disregards local zoning, planning and regulatory ordinances is unacceptable to the town of Merrillville.
Councilman Shawn Pettit added, “Industrial incentives are meant to create jobs, strengthen our tax base and improve the lives of our residents. A detention or processing facility does none of those things, and that’s why it doesn’t belong here.”
“The council expects transparency and accountability,” Town Attorney Joseph Svetanoff said. “We will be seeking answers from our congressional delegation to understand what actions are being taken and to ensure Merrillville’s concerns are clearly communicated at the federal level.”
Tuesday’s resolution won’t be the only action associated with this matter.
When more information becomes available, it will be posted on the town website (merrillville.in.gov), the My Merrillville app and on our social media pages.
