The Trump administration’s latest move to expand immigration detention capacity has ignited controversy in Indiana, with the announcement of a new facility dubbed the “Speedway Slammer.”
The initiative, revealed on August 5, 2025, aims to house up to 1,000 detained immigrants at the Miami Correctional Facility, located 70 miles north of Indianapolis.
The facility’s nickname, referencing the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has drawn sharp criticism from local stakeholders and immigrant advocates alike.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), led by Secretary Kristi Noem, promoted the “Speedway Slammer” with a social media post featuring an AI-generated image of an IndyCar branded with “ICE” racing past a detention center.
The imagery, which included the number 5—associated with IndyCar’s only Mexican driver, Pato O’Ward—prompted immediate backlash.
Penske Entertainment, the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, issued a statement expressing dismay over the unauthorized use of its intellectual property.
“We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of today’s announcement,” Penske Entertainment told the IndyStar.
“Consistent with our approach to public policy and political issues, we are communicating our preference that our IP not be utilized moving forward in relation to this matter.”
IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward also voiced discomfort, stating, “I was just a little bit shocked at the coincidences of that and, you know, of what it means.
I don’t think it made a lot of people proud, to say the least.”
DHS, however, defended the imagery, asserting in a statement on August 6 that “an AI-generated image of a car with ‘ICE’ on the side does not violate anyone’s intellectual property rights.
Any suggestion to the contrary is absurd.”
The department vowed to continue promoting the “Speedway Slammer” as part of its immigration enforcement strategy.
Indiana’s Role in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
The “Speedway Slammer” is part of a broader Trump administration effort to expand immigration detention capacity, following the model of Florida’s controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” facility.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun, a staunch Trump supporter, has embraced the initiative, building on an executive order he signed in January 2025 directing state law enforcement to fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Braun described the partnership as “innovative” and emphasized Indiana’s commitment to “combating illegal immigration.”
The Miami Correctional Facility, located at the former Grissom Air Force Base, will provide 1,000 of its 3,100 beds for ICE detainees.
According to Annie Goeller, chief communications officer for the Indiana Department of Correction, 1,200 beds at the facility are currently unused due to staffing shortages.
The partnership is funded by the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a federal spending measure signed into law on July 4, 2025, which allocated resources for 80,000 new ICE detention beds nationwide and bolstered the 287(g) program, enabling local law enforcement to collaborate with ICE.
Additionally, the Trump administration is exploring the use of Camp Atterbury, a military base south of Indianapolis, as a temporary detention site for up to 1,000 ICE detainees.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined these plans on July 15, 2025, though no timeline for implementation has been confirmed.
Critics Denounce Dehumanizing Rhetoric
Immigrant advocates have condemned the “Speedway Slammer” nickname, arguing it trivializes the harsh realities of ICE detention and dehumanizes detainees.
Reports of overcrowded and inhumane conditions in facilities like Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz“—where detainees have faced sewage backups and exposure to extreme weather—have fueled concerns about the treatment of immigrants in Indiana’s new facility.
Gurinder Kaur, CEO of the Immigrant Welcome Center, told WTHR, “How will this become actualized?
We still don’t know yet.
And what will the cost of this be on our communities?”
Data from ICE indicates that the average daily population in its custody has surged to 57,000 in early August 2025, up from fewer than 40,000 in January before Trump’s inauguration.
However, a Human Rights Watch report from July 2025 revealed that nearly 72% of ICE detainees have no criminal history, challenging the administration’s claim that facilities like the “Speedway Slammer” will house “the worst of the worst.”
Broader Implications and Pushback
The “Speedway Slammer” has also drawn criticism from the town of Speedway, Indiana, which stated, “This designation was developed and released independently by the federal agency, without the Town’s involvement or prior notice regarding the use of the name ‘Speedway.’”
The town emphasized its focus on the well-being of its residents and businesses.
White House “border czar” Tom Homan dismissed concerns about the facility’s name, stating, “I don’t name the facilities.
This is serious work, and it’s dangerous work.”
Homan emphasized the administration’s goal of rapidly removing “public safety threats,” a stance echoed by Braun, who told the IndyStar, “When it comes to our state, we’re going to cooperate … as we’re housing detainees that have broken the law after they entered illegally.”
As the Trump administration pushes forward with plans to expand detention capacity through state partnerships, military bases, and private contracts, the “Speedway Slammer” controversy underscores the tension between federal immigration policy and local communities.
With Indiana positioned as a key player in this agenda, the debate over the facility’s branding and purpose is likely to intensify.
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