Indiana officials say hundreds of undocumented migrants driving commercial trucks have been stopped at weigh stations across the state in recent months as part of an expanded enforcement effort.
According to the New York Post, Tony Ferraro, an aide to Gov. Mike Braun and a member of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, told board members Thursday that authorities identified at least 283 undocumented truck drivers over 90 days.
“That’s over three a day that we pulled out of trucks,” Ferraro said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“The bottom line is it was illegal. It was against the law. We prosecuted and took over the enforcement action,” he added.
Ferraro did not specify which laws the drivers allegedly violated.
He said many of the truckers possessed commercial driver’s licenses issued by states such as California and New York, where non-citizens have previously been allowed to obtain CDLs.
Earlier this year, New York announced it would stop issuing commercial licenses to non-citizens after the Trump administration tightened federal restrictions tied to licensing and work authorization.
The situation in Indiana, however, could face legal scrutiny.
Federal rules require CDL holders to be authorized to work in the United States, but legal experts have noted that drivers who obtained valid licenses from states that permitted non-citizen applicants may still argue they were legally allowed to operate commercial vehicles.
Gov. Braun has repeatedly emphasized traffic safety and immigration enforcement as priorities for his administration.
According to Ferraro, the state has also increased patrols on expressways and Interstate highways, describing the police presence as stronger than at any point he has seen in more than a decade living in the region.
Ferraro said the heightened enforcement serves multiple purposes, including monitoring speeding violations while also allowing troopers to inspect commercial drivers for potential criminal or immigration-related offenses.
Indiana does not issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
Officials have not clarified whether the drivers identified at weigh stations are facing state charges, federal prosecution, or possible transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
The state also has not released additional details about how the investigations were conducted or how many cases remain active.
