Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons says Indiana’s new detention center will play an important role in the agency’s work.

The Department of Homeland Security and the State of Indiana announced a partnership allowing ICE to use part of the Miami Correctional Center, nicknamed the “Speedway Slammer,” for up to 1,000 detainees.

DHS says the facility will house some of the most serious criminal illegal immigrants arrested by ICE. The center was modeled after Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” facility.

Governor Mike Braun backed the plan, saying Indiana is taking a cooperative approach to addressing illegal immigration and setting an example for other states.

Speaking with WIBC’s Hammer and Nigel, Lyons explained why this site matters. “In the Midwest, especially the central U.S., we don’t have a lot of bed space,” he said. “Facilities like this, with help from states, are key for ICE to carry out its mission and help keep America safe.”