BLOOMINGTON— The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is pushing back against public claims made by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who criticized the agency for releasing a man now accused of serious new charges, despite what he described as an “ICE detainer request.”
In a social media post on Thursday, Rokita alleged the sheriff’s office ignored an immigration detainer for Manuel Lopez Lopez, who is now back in custody facing charges of attempted rape, battery, and criminal confinement. The attorney general said Lopez should not have been released last year following earlier charges of a similar nature, adding that the situation illustrates what he called the risks of “sanctuary” policies in the county.
Lopez previously entered a plea agreement in February 2025 that resulted in a conviction on a Level 6 felony confinement charge. Under the terms of that agreement, other charges, including rape and sexual battery, were dismissed. He was subsequently released by court order.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said that at the time of Lopez’s release, the Monroe County Correctional Center had not received a formal immigration detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Instead, the jail received a “Request for Advance Notification of Release,” which does not authorize the jail to detain a person beyond their scheduled release time.
According to the sheriff’s office, ICE was notified of Lopez’s pending release in compliance with that request.
Rokita has filed an ongoing lawsuit against the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Ruben Marté, challenging the agency’s immigration detention policies. His office argues the county is acting as a “sanctuary jurisdiction” by failing to comply with federal immigration enforcement practices.
The sheriff’s office maintains that its procedures comply with state and federal law, including constitutional protections against unlawful detention.
Sheriff Marte issued the following response:
On February 19, 2025, Manuel Lopez Lopez entered a plea agreement, was convicted on a Level 6 Felony-Confinement, and was released by the court. At the time of his release, there was not an immigration detainer on file for him with the Monroe County Correctional Center. The Correctional Center had received only a “Request for Advance Notification of Release” from ICE, a form that requests that law enforcement provide notice of release to ICE. This form specifically states that it “does not request or authorize that you detain the subject beyond the time that he or she is scheduled for release from your custody.” That request was honored, and ICE was notified before Lopez was released.
The Sheriff’s Office crafted the Standard Operating Procedure to comply with all applicable laws and constitutional guarantees. It is the position of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office that the current policy balances our obligation to enforce the laws while ensuring that constitutional rights are protected.
Sheriff Ruben Marté
The case has reignited debate over local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and the legal boundaries surrounding detainers and notifications.
