Full Breakdown
Missed Medication Doses Highlight Ongoing Concerns at Indiana ICE Detention Facility
7/31/2026, 12:08:58 AM
Background and Facility Context
Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana—dubbed the “Speedway Slammer” during the Trump administration—houses up to 1,000 ICE detainees. The prison, originally a state maximum-security institution, began accepting ICE detainees in October 2025. Prior investigations uncovered staffing shortages, a drug-trade problem and backlogs in medical care. In response, Indiana Governor Mike Braun ordered a review of staffing levels and medical backlogs.
Data on Medication and Deaths
ICE acknowledged that 800 prescribed medication doses were not administered. The agency attributed 750 missed doses to detainees refusing to line up for pills, 44 to pharmacy stock shortages, five to detainees being in court, and five to safety concerns over extremely low blood-sugar levels. From April 1 through the month, health-care staff issued 3,242 doses, and by April 21 medication had been administered to 102 detainees, with an additional 211 detainees given medication to self-administer.
Two deaths have been linked to the facility’s medical shortcomings. Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian national, died in February, and Tuan Van Bui, a 55-year-old Vietnam national, died in April. Family attorneys and nurses allege missed medication and delayed assistance contributed to the fatalities, while ICE classifies both deaths as natural causes. Nationwide, 51 people have died while in ICE custody.
Official Statements & Responses
Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella wrote to Rep. ICE also stated that emergency-alert systems at the prison are functional and that a compliance inspection is slated for September. The agency declined to answer questions about staffing, citing operational sensitivity and safety. Governor Braun’s audit focuses on staffing ratios, intercom systems and corrective-action plans.
Verbatim Quote
“Although ICE’s response indicates that some issues raised in my initial inquiry have been addressed, including upgrades to the commissary system and updates to the law library content to include a congressional privacy release form, the agency’s answers raise even more serious questions about medical care, medication access, and legal access,” — S. Rep. André Carson, of Indianapolis
Criticism and Calls for Accountability
Rep. André Carson, who issued a 22-question inquiry in April, called the missed-dose figure “staggering” and demanded a public accounting of medical care. He urged accountability for any officials whose actions—or inactions—contributed to the deaths and injuries, and he pressed ICE to release investigation findings. Carson’s office released ICE’s answers to the inquiry, noting that the agency’s response “deepens those concerns” about medical access and legal rights for detainees.
