FISHERS, Ind. (WRTV) -- The organizer of a rally in support of mass deportations on Monday said the rally is about enforcing existing laws, not promoting violence.
Save Heritage Indiana, an organization that advocates for stricter immigration policies, has announced online it will hold a rally in support of mass deportations in Fishers on Aug. 1. Its keynote speaker will be Greg Bovino, a former commander-at-large of the U.S. Border Patrol who was leading the Trump administration's deportation efforts when federal agents shot and killed two protesters in Minneapolis early this year. Bovino, who has since retired, now claims as many as 100 million people are in the United States illegally, a figure that would amount to nearly one-third of the U.S. population. Bovino has not offered any evidence to support this claim, which is far in excess of the roughly 12-14 million figure both the Biden and Trump administrations have quoted, a figure that also matches what multiple third-party researchers have calculated from census data.
Daniel Poynter, Save Heritage Indiana's executive director, said the rally's goal is to deepen the sense of urgency around the immigration issue. He said he believes the rally would be the first of its kind anywhere in the country. Poynter said the issue is ensuring proper enforcement of the laws already approved by Congress.
"When somebody in your life is taking advantage of you and you're not enforcing your boundaries, when you do enforce the boundaries, they're probably going to get mad at you. But I think, at a deeper level, they're going to respect you, that you are a person who has boundaries and you enforce your boundaries," he said. "I think this is a deep principle that applies in many cases, from people breaking the law repeatedly and then all of a sudden, we're enforcing the law, they're going to think, wow there are boundaries and their boundaries are being enforced."
The rally already has drawn criticism online and offline. Tom Groot, a Fishers resident and board member of Fishers Resist, said he's not surprised someone is holding a rally in support of mass deportations, but he is surprised it's being held in Fishers. According to the most recent Census Bureau data, about 11.5% of Fishers residents were born outside the United States, nearly double the statewide average.
"This organization that is running this rally is talking about deporting all kinds of people, regardless of status," he said. "We've had a number of our family members express surprise that something like this is happening in Fishers, and certainly a lot of disappointment that this kind of message is being delivered here. We don't think it really fits with the way people think in this area."
Groot said his organization is already planning a protest on the day of Bovino's visit.
Stephanie Jo Yocum, Democratic candidate for Indiana's 88th House District, which includes Fishers, said she also is surprised the rally is being held in the city. She said she feels the verbiage of the rally's website targets all immigrants regardless of status. Yocum said Bovino's presence in particular could be harmful given his role in the Trump administration's deportation campaign until this year.
"It's important to have conversations about immigration policy," she said, "but I think we can have intentional conversations about immigration policy, how to keep Hoosiers safe, without creating fear across our neighbors. I think those two things can be separated. For me, it's more about this event and how it's causing pain for our neighbors."
The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies Save Heritage Indiana as an anti-immigrant hate group. Poynter said the rally and his organization are not intended to foster violence, nor are they meant to promote ethnic or racial division.
"When we talk about heritage and saving heritage, what we mean is, the small towns that most of us grew up in where there was a lot of social trust, and kids could ride their bikes, and nobody worried about coming home. That's what we're trying to protect," he said. "We're not promoting violence at all. We're just promoting boundaries and the rule of law that already exists."
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, a Republican, will provide pre-recorded remarks at the rally by video, though he will not be able to attend in person. Beckwith was unable to talk to "News 8" on camera Monday but his office sent a brief written statement.
"I've always been a strong supporter of President Trump's immigration policy. After four years of the disastrous Biden administration, we need strong leadership now more than ever."
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith
R-Indiana
The event begins at 7 p.m. on Aug. 1. Poynter said for security reasons, attendees will not learn the exact location until shortly beforehand.
