Attorney General Todd Rokita continues to challenge St. Joseph Police Department

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is appealing a court decision that dismissed his lawsuit against St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman and the St. Joseph County Police Department over alleged violations of the state’s sanctuary city ban.

The appeal comes after Superior Court Judge Jenny Pitts Manier ruled in October that Rokita’s office lacked standing to sue. The lawsuit, originally filed in January 2025, accused the county jail of releasing undocumented immigrants despite detainer requests and notification requirements from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Indiana Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Blake Lanning said Thursday that the Attorney General’s Office plans to challenge the judge’s decision, arguing that a 2024 law explicitly authorizes the office to enforce the state’s anti-sanctuary statute.

 “If this judge’s decision is allowed to stand on standing, that undoes the very important and very hard work the General Assembly did,” Lanning said.

The legal dispute dates back more than a year. Lanning said the AG’s office initially contacted Sheriff Redman in October 2024 to address information from ICE designating St. Joseph County as a “non-cooperative jurisdiction.” After receiving what Lanning described as a “non-answer,” the office sent additional letters before filing the lawsuit.

Redman responded in March 2025 by calling the case a “legal circus” and filing a motion to dismiss. The case stalled for months as several judges recused themselves before Manier ultimately dismissed the suit as the fifth judge assigned to the case.

Rokita’s office argues that the court’s ruling undermines the legislature’s intent to give the Attorney General enforcement authority. If the Indiana Court of Appeals sides with Rokita, the case could return to trial.

The Attorney General’s Office said more than 94% of its appeals have been successful since Rokita took office in 2021, totaling 5,985 successful appeals, which Lanning cites with confidence heading into the continued legal process. 

Sheriff Redman continues to deny all allegations.