By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers continue to arrest hundreds of drivers on interstates who are in the country illegally and have criminal histories.

As Illinois continues to prohibit law enforcement from working with ICE, its neighbor, Indiana, is taking action to secure its shared border and interstate highways that run through both midwestern states.

“Indiana is the Crossroads of America, and that’s something we’re proud of – but it also means we must stay vigilant about those using our interstates for crime and thus endangering our communities,” Gov. Mike Braun said. “The safety of our state is our top priority, and we’ll keep working with our federal partners to keep Hoosiers – and Americans – safe.”

Indiana law enforcement agencies are participating in ICE’s 287(g) program, including the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Corrections, the sheriff’s offices of Hamilton, Jasper, Noble and Rush counties and police departments of Corydon, Greens Fork, Kennard, Lewisville and North Salem.

Named after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1996, the program authorizes ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration functions only under ICE’s direction and supervision. Local law enforcement officers can apply to participate in the Jail Enforcement Model (JEM), Task Force Model (TFM) and Warrant Service Officer (WSO) model, The Center Square reported.

In a recent operation, ICE officers working with Indiana State Police officers through 287(g) arrested 223 illegal border crossers driving on Indiana highways near the Illinois state line. The majority, 146, were truck drivers, the Department of Homeland Security said.

More than 40 illegal foreign nationals were issued commercial driver’s licenses, primarily from the states of Illinois, California and New York, DHS said.

Those arrested have extensive criminal histories including charges or convictions of driving under the influence, drug trafficking, theft, burglary, assault, child abuse, domestic battery, prostitution and fraud, DHS said.

The ICE-Indiana operation took place in northwest Indiana as part of ICE’s Chicago-based Operation Midway Blitz. This operation has led to the arrest of more than 1,500 in Chicago, The Center Square reported.

ICE’s targeted removal efforts have prioritized locating and arresting violent criminals who are illegally living in local communities to remove public safety threats.

This is “exactly what we have done in Chicago,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said. Targeted removal efforts also include “protecting roadways carrying interstate traffic and cargo. Sanctuary policies like those in Illinois sadly don’t recognize borders,” he added.

As a result of Illinois’ policies, ICE and Indiana are taking action at its shared border, Lyons said. ICE and Indiana State Police have “arrested hundreds of illegal alien truck drivers who should not be operating on our highways.”

“In recent weeks, we have seen illegal semi-truck drivers responsible for significant loss of life across the country. This was preventable, and that is precisely why we are working to ensure this doesn’t happen in Indiana or Illinois,” he added.

Several Democratic-led states have passed laws to prevent state and local law enforcement from participating in 287(g), including California, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington.

Democratic leaders of California and Illinois have come under federal scrutiny for issuing driver’s licenses to illegal foreign nationals and not ensuring public safety.

In just 10 months, ICE has signed 1,097 Memorandums of Agreement for 287(g) programs in 40 states, according to the latest data as of Oct. 31. They include JEM agreements with 137 law enforcement agencies in 30 states; WSO agreements with 406 law enforcement agencies in 36 states; and TFM agreements with 554 agencies in 35 states.

The Indiana operation was similar to one conducted by ICE and Oklahoma Highway Patrol along I-40, resulting in 120 illegal foreign nationals being arrested, The Center Square reported. The majority, 91, were operating a commercial vehicle with CDLs.

ICE partnerships with local and state jurisdictions have been invaluable to interdiction efforts, including on interstates, ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan says. “When cities and states partner with us, communities are safer, and as this operation has proven, our efforts in Indiana extend protection to those living in the sanctuary state of Illinois as well,” he said.