Braun says schools won’t get state guidance on immigration enforcement

Gov. Mike Braun’s office is not advising schools on immigration enforcement outside of what the federal officials have directed states to do.

President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order pushes states to focus on “egregious” examples of illegal immigration by identifying undocumented immigrants that have committed crimes, which is what Indiana is following and not diverting from, Braun said. 

Braun signed an executive order on immigration Tuesday that directs all state law enforcement agencies to “fully cooperate” with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal movements on illegal immigration. 

“Indiana is going to be a state that is going to help get people that came in here illegally – and then committed crimes and are dangerous – back out of the country,” Braun said during a press briefing.

When asked what guidance his office is providing to Indiana’s Department of Education regarding immigration enforcement, Braun said the federal order does not apply to schools. 

“There's nothing coming from here other than we are going to comply with what they're doing federally,” Braun said Tuesday. 

Braun also said he would not direct Indiana law enforcement to enter churches or schools to seek undocumented immigrants because he does not have “any directive from the federal government on doing that”.

WFYI asked the education department whether it is advising schools on immigration enforcement and whether it believes enforcement efforts could impact the state's school system. The department did not respond as of midday Wednesday.

“We're going to do what the federal government asks us to do – that's reasonable – to help find the most egregious examples of illegal immigrants that have committed egregious crimes,” Braun said. “I'm going to direct any of our authorities to not resist, and hopefully they'll be compliant on their own.”