Full Breakdown
Lawsuit Alleges Inhumane Conditions at Indiana ICE Detention Facility
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event
A federal lawsuit filed in October 2026 accuses the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana, of subjecting ICE detainees to prolonged solitary confinement, abusive treatment, racial slurs, and “dangerously inadequate” medical care. The 72-page complaint, brought by the ACLU of Illinois and Indiana, the MacArthur Justice Center, the National Immigrant Justice Center, and other groups, seeks class-action status against the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and Indiana officials.
02
Background & Context
The prison, originally a maximum-security state facility, was converted in 2025 into an immigration detention center under a deal negotiated by Governor Mike Braun and the Trump administration. The facility already had a record of violence and inmate deaths before the conversion. Since taking ICE detainees, the prison has been the focus of an IndyStar investigation that uncovered severe understaffing and failures by the for-profit medical provider Centurion Health to meet contractual staffing and care standards.
03
Timeline
- 2025 (late) – Miami Correctional Facility begins housing ICE detainees.
- October 2025 – Detainee Sergei Vasenin is arrested and transferred to the facility.
- Early 2026 – Cambodian national Lorth Sim dies six weeks after transfer; an autopsy shows high blood-glucose levels despite a diabetes diagnosis.
- April 1, 2026 – Vietnamese national Tuan Van Bui dies six weeks after admission; witnesses say emergency help arrived too late.
- October 2026 – ACLU-led coalition files the lawsuit alleging systemic abuse and medical neglect.
04
Data & Statistics
- Two detainee deaths at the facility in 2026 (Lorth Sim, 59; Tuan Van Bui, 55).
- 37 deaths in ICE custody nationwide this fiscal year, the highest count in the agency’s history (Migration Policy Institute).
- One plaintiff, Kemoye Muslar, spent three days in a sewage-filled cell during a 10-day lockdown.
05
Why It Matters
The allegations raise federal-state accountability questions for a facility that receives millions of dollars from the federal government while housing vulnerable non-citizens awaiting immigration proceedings. If upheld, the case could prompt stricter oversight of private medical contracts and reforms to solitary-confinement practices.
06
Official Statements & Responses
An ICE spokesperson, in an April statement, asserted that the agency provides “safe, secure and humane environments” and “comprehensive medical care,” calling any claim of substandard conditions at the Miami facility “false.” The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the lawsuit. Indiana Department of Correction Commissioner Lloyd Arnold has not responded to requests for comment.
07
On-the-Ground Reports
Plaintiffs describe a pattern of abuse:
- Sergei Vasenin spent nine weeks in solitary confinement, receiving medication irregularly and contemplating suicide.
- Cynthia Acevedo, a Guatemalan transgender woman, alleges a seizure-worsening medication change, a delayed response to her report of sexual assault, and lack of a rape kit or HIV testing.
- A detainee with inflamed leg wounds waited days for medical attention despite repeated requests.
08
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The complaint alleges that medical staff failed to provide prescribed medication to Lorth Sim, yet an ICE-issued death report notes he was receiving treatment for hypertension. The lawsuit also claims staff “regularly” placed detainees in segregation for “minor disagreements,” while ICE maintains that disciplinary actions follow established protocols. No independent inspection reports have been released to verify either account.
09
What’s Next
The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the federal government and Indiana officials to improve medical staffing, end indefinite solitary confinement, and provide oversight mechanisms. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana; a hearing date has not yet been scheduled.