Lawmakers call on Braun to investigate deaths, backlogs at Indiana ICE prison

Lawmakers call on Braun to investigate deaths, backlogs at Indiana ICE prison

Democratic lawmakers and others are calling for an investigation into allegations of medical failures and substandard care that may have contributed to the deaths of two immigrant detainees at Miami Correctional Facility.

An IndyStar investigation found that Gov. Mike Braun's agreement with the Trump administration to hold immigrant detainees resulted in a health care crisis at the prison. Staffing shortages and widespread vacancies led to massive medical backlogs and significant delays in receiving services. The human consequence, in the case of two ICE detainees, was fatal, according to a family attorney, detainees and a former nurse at the facility.

As the backlogs soared to the hundreds, Centurion Health, the Indiana Department of Correction's for-profit medical provider, reported significantly lower numbers to the state, potentially avoiding thousands of dollars in fines, according to interviews with nurses and internal emails obtained by IndyStar. The company reported no backlogs at all over several months between October and March — an implausible scenario, according to multiple nurses, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

"There absolutely must be an independent investigation both into these deaths but also into the medical backlogs, the staffing failures, the emergency response and the accuracy of ... Centurion reporting and the state's oversight of this contract," Minority Caucus Leader Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, told IndyStar. "Hoosiers did not elect Centurion to lead the state of Indiana. They elected Gov. Braun. It is Gov. Braun that needs to call for an independent investigation into these matters immediately."

Deaths, delays, 'fake' data: How Braun's ICE prison deal fueled a medical crisis

Braun's office and IDOC did not respond to questions from IndyStar about Democrats calling for an investigation.

The ACLU of Indiana, meanwhile, is calling on the state to stop housing detainees at the prison, noting that problems have plagued the facility for years even before the addition of hundreds of ICE detainees.

"Governor Braun has made Indiana a central part of the Trump administration's expanding immigration detention system despite Miami Correctional Facility's problematic history," the organization said in a statement. "The ACLU of Indiana has already represented 31 people who endured prolonged isolation in near-total darkness, sewage flooding, exposed wiring, and severe psychological harm inside the prison resulting in settlements that in total cost IDOC more than $1.2 million. Even with that history, the state chose to bring hundreds of people in ICE custody into the same facility."

The prison, whose warden recently resigned, has repeatedly denied IndyStar's request to visit the facility. The governor, IDOC and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have not addressed many of IndyStar's findings and questions about the deaths and the allegations of bogus backlog data.

The lack of transparency surrounding the deaths and backlogs is concerning, the ACLU said.

"IndyStar's reporting exposes the severe understaffing, massive medical backlogs, missed medications and serious health needs left untreated, while raising disturbing questions about whether Centurion Health concealed the full extent of those failures," the organization said. "This opaque immigration enforcement system shields abuse from public view, and Indiana must end this for-profit detention arrangement rather than continue supporting a system that denies people adequate medical care, humane treatment, and due process."

In a statement prior to the publication of IndyStar's investigation, Centurion acknowledged "workforce challenges" in the health care industry, but said it actively recruits and trains qualified medical employees to "maintain appropriate staffing levels." The company said it continually reviews its internal data and backlogs to ensure accurate reporting.

"We take all allegations regarding patient care and operational standards with the utmost seriousness," the statement said.

Democratic lawmakers, some of whom toured the ICE detention part of the prison, said IndyStar's findings underscore the reality that the facility simply did not have the resources to safely house detainees.

"Oversight is long overdue. I think the results we've seen are deeply tragic," said U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indiana, adding he's "deeply concerned" over allegations that Centurion submitted bogus backlog data to the state. "Keeping detainees safe is just not optional. It's a legal requirement."

Spokespeople for Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, and Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, did not respond to requests for comment.

The first detainee death happened on Feb. 16, when staffers found Lorth Sim in his cell, pulseless. Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian detainee who arrived at the facility six weeks earlier, was a Type 2 diabetic who was prescribed metformin, an oral medication to control blood sugar levels. But Sim never received the pills, a former Centurion nurse told IndyStar. An independent autopsy commissioned by his family found significantly high glucose levels in his blood.

On April 1, six weeks after Sim died, Tuan Van Bui, was pronounced dead. Bui, a 55-year-old Vietnamese detainee, was receiving medication for his health problems, including hypertension. But two detainees who saw him collapse said help arrived too late.

Deadly detention: He survived a genocidal regime — and died in ICE detention at an Indiana prison

Democratic lawmakers specifically called for greater scrutiny of Centurion, whose contract with the state is worth a little over $1 billion. The contract requires the Virginia-based company to report weekly backlogs to the state and sets certain limits and fines.

"We need oversight to verify that information that's being reported is accurate and to figure out what's causing these delays for care, whether it's staffing and whether it's technological in regards to the backlogs," said Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend. "That's exactly the role of the legislature. We're here to create oversight. When we hear that people in state custody aren't getting adequate care, we do have an obligation to ask these questions and get answers."

Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, said the state must end its business with Centurion and seek other providers. That the Miami prison is now housing detainees, some of whom have not been convicted of crimes and were only supposed to be held temporarily, underscores that need, DeLaney said.

"It's obvious that that contract has failed," DeLaney said, although he acknowledged it has not been easy to shop for other providers. "The state has been trying to replace them, but the state doesn't seem up to the task ... There's not a lot of companies in this particular business of providing medical care in prisons. You've got a small pool."

The state has an active bid for a new correctional healthcare provider. Earlier this year, IDOC extended its contract with Centurion for another year. The contract is set to expire on March 31, 2027.

What to know about Centurion Health: Contractor at Indiana's ICE prison has faced scrutiny in other states

After Braun announced last summer that the Miami prison would house up to 1,000 ICE detainees, the state agreed to pay Centurion $3 million for additional personnel costs to deal with the influx. The amended contract adds "separate staffing levels … to meet the medical, dental and mental health services" required in the statees agreement with ICE. A staffing matrix attached to the amendment called for 29 "full-time equivalent" positions, including 23 for nurses.

But an internal staff roster obtained by IndyStar showed that by February — four months after the first busload of detainees arrived — the entire prison had only 19 nurses.

DeLaney acknowledged