U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced Tuesday the opening of a new migrant detention centre, coined the Speedway Slammer, that will house 1,000 inmates detained as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The Indiana-based facility, built in partnership with the state Department of Corrections, will hold “some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens arrested by ICE,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Tuesday.
Noem announced the centre on X, saying, “COMING SOON to Indiana: The Speedway Slammer. Today, we’re announcing a new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention bed space by 1,000 beds,” she wrote.
“Thanks to @GovBraun for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana’s Speedway Slammer,” she continued, adding that to avoid arrest, people residing illegally in the U.S. can self-deport.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced that the state would cooperate with Noem’s department on Aug. 1, saying, “Indiana is not a safe haven for illegal immigration. We will fully partner with federal immigration authorities as they enforce the most fundamental laws of our country.”
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Following Noem’s unveiling of the new facility, Braun told Fox News, “We are proud to work with President Trump and Secretary Noem as they remove the worst of the worst with this innovative partnership. Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states.”
The “Speedway Slammer” references one of Indiana’s most famous attractions, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security shared an AI-generated image of an Indy 500 car, with the word “ICE” (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) plastered across its livery, rushing past a looming concrete prison surrounded by barbed wire and watch towers.
The owner of the Indianapolis Speedway, Penske Entertainment, told the IndyStar, that it was “unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of the announcement.”
“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,” the statement said.
Its unveiling follows the opening of a detention centre named “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida, another facility built by the Trump administration designed to house illegal migrants.
Alligator Alcatraz, which has been condemned by critics as an inhumane makeshift prison camp, was praised by the president as a model for future nationwide facilities aimed at accelerating deportations, including possibly deporting U.S. citizens.
Trump, Noem and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in July that the facility will soon “handle the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.”
The president said the moniker is “very appropriate because I looked outside and that’s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon.”
— With files from Global News’ Michelle Butterfield
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