DHS expands immigration detention in Indiana with ‘Speedway Slammer’
In a nod to Indiana’s racing heritage and the Indy 500, the Department of Homeland Security has announced its next detention facility for immigrant detainees will be located at the Miami Correctional Facility. The “Speedway Slammer” will add 1,000 new beds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees.
Partnership between DHS and Indiana
Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X: “COMING SOON to Indiana: The Speedway Slammer. Today, we’re announcing a new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention bed space by 1,000 beds. Thanks to @GovBraun for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana’s Speedway Slammer.”
Noem urged anyone in the U.S. illegally to self-deport to avoid arrest. She also compared the Indiana facility to Florida’s controversial detention center in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
DHS says the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill funds the expansion by adding 80,000 new ICE beds nationwide to enhance immigration enforcement.
Proximity to Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Speedway Slammer is a maximum-security prison located about 70 miles north of Indianapolis, on the former Grissom Air Force Base.
The Indianapolis Star reports Republican Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order in January directing Indiana law enforcement to “fully cooperate” with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — including arresting and detaining unauthorized immigrants.
Braun said in a statement to Fox News, later posted to X, saying, “We are proud to work with President Trump and Secretary Noem as they remove the worst of the worst with this innovative partnership. Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states.”
What’s next?
The Trump administration also plans to use Camp Atterbury in Indiana as a temporary DHS holding site for up to 1,000 ICE detainees. The administration has not yet provided a timeline for when the facility will open.
Braun said both facilities will be used to house detainees “who have broken the law by entering the country illegally.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
