Police powers limited in illegal immigrant issue

By Alicia Ebaugh
Published: Monday, August 9, 2010 11:46 PM CDT
Staff writer

MICHIGAN CITY — Police officers in Indiana can’t hold anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant unless they’ve broken a state law, officials say.

Many times, even when illegal immigrants are in custody federal, officials don’t pursue an individual’s immigration status unless the person has committed a serious crime or has a criminal record.

“(Immigration and Customs Enforcement) deals with an overwhelming number of cases. They really don’t have time,â€