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A group in favor of mass deportation is planning a rally headlined by a former Trump official in Fishers, and some community members are pushing back.
Already a counterprotest is planned, and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness said in a podcast that he's received messages encouraging him to stop the event, which is planned to take place in a city with a large number of immigrants.
Some state and local leaders are speaking out against the event organized by Save Heritage Indiana, which says it is a member of the Mass Deportation Coalition, while some state leaders have endorsed the group.
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Fishers rally will feature former Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino
The Fishers rally is scheduled for Aug. 1 and will feature former Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who emerged as a leading public face of the Trump administration's immigration operations over the past year, spearheading the militarized approach to immigration enforcement. His tactics and handling of operations in Minnesota, Chicago and Los Angeles drew criticism from lawmakers and civil rights advocates before he retired earlier this year.
“What Commander Bovino is prepared to disclose is not speculation,” reads a webpage with information on the rally. “It is testimony from a career spent inside the apparatus — and it implicates people who would prefer he remain quiet.”
The exact location of the rally has not been publicly disclosed. The location will be sent to ticket holders, vetted by the organization, after purchase. Men are required to wear a suit and tie, while women are required to wear dresses to the event, according to the webpage.
On social media the group has said it is not disclosing the location of the event publicly so guests can "have an honest conversation without being harassed by those who oppose free speech." The group has received threats, including some death threats while planning the Fishers event, according to a social media post.
"We reported those to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies," Save Heritage Indiana said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "We have documentation of everything. Despite the threats, we're moving forward."
The rally will also include video remarks by Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, who has endorsed Save Heritage Indiana in the past. Save Heritage Indiana advocates for the “end and reverse of mass migration in Indiana,” through a 30-year moratorium.
Save Heritage Indiana wants the state to require employers to use E-Verify to check legal statuses of their employees, block sanctuary policies, and make sure local police work with federal authorities on immigration laws, according to the group's website.
"We exist to save Indiana’s heritage by reversing mass migration," reads the group's website. "We will do this by mobilizing the grassroots to enact effective state and local level policy changes."
But, the group has been categorized as an anti-immigrant hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The group's founders, Daniel Poynter and Nathan Roberts, have pushed back against the idea that Save Heritage Indiana is a hate group. Poynter told IndyStar via email that the Southern Poverty Law Center has lost its credibility after the Justice Department announced, earlier this year, a series of fraud charges against the organization. That case is still pending.
"We want President Trump to do exactly what he campaigned on," Poynter added via email. "As a proud member of the mass deportation coalition, we want him to carry out the largest mass deportation of illegal aliens in American history. We're fighting to save our nation from liquidation."
The group, on social media, has said it is holding the Fishers event to energize its base.
Fishers mayor says he can't stop the event
Fadness said on a recent podcast that he's gotten many emails from Fishers residents and people outside of Fishers asking him to stop the rally from happening or condemn it. Fishers did not answer a question from IndyStar on exactly how many communications the city has received related to the event.
“I don’t have the Constitutional right to [stop it from happening],” Fadness said on the podcast with Fishers journalist Larry Lannan. “If you take the emotion out of it, I’m not sure you want me to have that right. People want me to do away with the events that they don’t like. But what happens if there’s someone else in this role and they have a very different opinion about things, and they start taking away events that you support?”
The mayor, who declined an interview with IndyStar on the topic, said on the podcast that his natural inclination is to not weigh in on issues like the Save Heritage Indiana rally.
“In the limited amount of information I do know about it, there are aspects of that organization that I certainly wouldn’t personally agree with,” Fadness said on the podcast.
Democrats have been more outspoken about their disapproval of the event.
Bill Stuart, the lone Democrat currently elected to Fishers City Council, released a statement in which he said he was “deeply disturbed” to see Bovino speaking in Fishers to promote mass deportations. More than 11% of Fishers residents are foreign-born, compared to just over 6% of the population statewide, according to stats from the U.S. Census Bureau.
“The City of Fishers has a substantial percentage of its population that was born outside of the United States,” Stuart said in a statement. “Most are here legally and making positive contributions to our community. Please join me in standing united with our friends and neighbors in Fishers and reject Bovino and his message.”
Save Heritage Indiana, in a post on X, said it chose Fishers as the location for their rally since its in the center of the state.
The Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network also released a statement on the Save Heritage Indiana rally planned for Fishers.
“Holding an event like this in a city that is home to one of Indiana’s largest Muslim communities sends a troubling message,” reads a Facebook post from the Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network. “When public officials and political events portray entire communities as threats, those communities become more vulnerable to hate, harassment, discrimination, and violence. Words matter because they shape how people are treated in their schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and places of worship.”
Local groups plan Fishers march for day of the Save Heritage Indiana rally
In response to the Save Heritage Indiana rally, Fishers Resists and other Central Indiana groups are planning a “Hoosier Hospitality March” on the afternoon of Aug. 1, which will begin at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park.
The march will include a vigil for people who have died during interactions with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as speakers.
“It's time to march and send a message that we want leaders who respect immigrant communities, reject ICE violence and extremist deportation policies,” a Facebook post from Fishers Resists reads.
Elizabeth Marvin, who is helping organize the march, said the plan is not to encounter or confront anyone at the Save Heritage Indiana rally and that the march is about spreading positivity and support for immigrant communities in Central Indiana.
“There is no room for hate in our state,” Marvin told IndyStar. “We want to show our immigrant neighbors what Hoosiers truly believe in. What Greg Bovino represents and what Save Heritage Indiana represents is not the Hoosier way. That's not Hoosier hospitality. We want to show our immigrant Hoosiers that they belong here and we are with them.”
Contact Jake Allen at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19. Click here to get Hamilton County news sent straight to your inbox and subscribe to the IndyStar North newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fishers braces for competing rallies on immigration
