INDIANAPOLIS — An immigration attorney and a supporter of tougher immigration policies both said the issue is top of mind going into Indiana's May primary election.
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Daniel Poynter is the co-founder and executive director of Save Heritage Indiana, a group that advocates for stricter immigration controls. He told WRTV he used to be a Democrat and did not vote for Donald Trump in 2016, but became concerned about the influx of large numbers of people who lacked proper documentation.
Immigration has long been central to the Trump-era Republicans' campaign platform. In his 2015 campaign launch speech, Trump accused immigrants of being a public safety threat.
This has been a common theme ever since.
Undocumented immigrants have been accused of several high-profile murders and fatal crashes, including one that killed four Jay County men earlier this year, but statistics paint a different picture.
A 2024 study of historic incarceration rates by Northwestern University found immigrants were 60% less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans. Poynter said for voters like him, public safety is a concern, but cultural cohesion is the biggest issue.
"These small towns had a shared culture. We all celebrated Christmas. There were Christmas lights everywhere. It was a shared culture. It was a shared heritage, shared memories," he said. "We all looked at the Founding Fathers with pride. And we were mostly proud to be Americans, both Democrats and Republicans. We had a shared culture. A shared identity. And that's really fraying today."
Besides the cultural aspect, Poynter said large influxes of migrants raise national sovereignty concerns.
"If we don't control our borders, are we even a people? If somebody forced people to live in your house against your will, are you even king of your castle?" he said.
Immigration attorney Paul Gresk sees the impact of the Trump administration's deportation policies firsthand. Gresk said he averages 20 to 25 new clients every day, most of whom are facing removal proceedings.
"Every one of these is a heartbreak story," he said.
He says he currently has a client who is a lawful permanent resident and has three U.S. citizen children, but her husband faces deportation.
"So this is all about dividing families. Families that, American families that have children that are dependent on their parents, like all children, to provide not only for their emotional support but their financial support. And when you eliminate that by deporting the parents, now you have these children that you have to deal with."
Gresk said he takes issue with the idea that immigrants to the United States somehow undermine cultural cohesion. He specifically pointed to Latinos' strong cultural emphasis on family and religious belief, both of which have historically been major Republican Party tenets.
Pew Research surveys show 53% of Hispanic Protestants reported attending religious services at least once a week, compared to 35% of white Protestants. About one quarter of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic Catholics report attending religious services weekly or more.
Both Gresk and Poynter said immigration is driving their decision-making going into the May primary.
Poynter said he considers it more important than traditional conservative causes such as the national debt, because he considers it an existential matter in ways the national debt is not.
Gresk, who once worked for then-Indianapolis Mayor Dick Lugar, said the Trump-era GOP's immigration policies have driven him away from the party. He said he expects Congress to at long last pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation after Trump leaves office, but not before.
Early voting ends at noon on May 4. Primary Day itself is on May 5.
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