INDIANAPOLIS – A federal court today blocked Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita from enforcing a sweeping investigative demand against Exodus Refugee Immigration. The court found that Exodus is likely to succeed in showing the investigation was retaliation for constitutionally protected speech.
The Civil Investigative Demand (CID) sought information about nearly every part of Exodus’s work, including its clients, partners, donors, advocacy and services. The ruling prevents Rokita from enforcing the demand or acting against Exodus for refusing to comply as the case continues.
Rokita issued the CID in September 2025 as part of a broader campaign targeting schools, health departments, employers and organizations connected to immigrant communities. The demand against Exodus came after the organization alerted other local service providers about a possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Bloomington and temporarily closed its office.
The court found that Exodus’s protected speech played a central role in Rokita’s decision to issue the demand. It also pointed to the timing, extraordinary breadth and weak connection to Rokita’s claimed labor-trafficking investigation.
“Exodus’s clients come to us after fleeing war, persecution and unimaginable hardship. They trust us to help them build safe, stable lives in Indiana,” said Cole Varga, CEO of Exodus Refugee Immigration. “This investigation undermined that trust. We hope that the Attorney General will now focus on serving Indiana residents instead of targeting our immigrant neighbors and their allies."
The preliminary injunction will remain in place while the lawsuit continues. The ACLU of Indiana will keep pursuing Exodus’s First Amendment claims and seeking a permanent end to enforcement of the CID.
“This investigation sought information about Exodus’s clients, partners and work in an effort to intimidate an organization serving immigrant communities and silence protected speech,” said Stevie Pactor, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Indiana. “We look forward seeking final judgment against the Attorney General’s unlawful actions.”
The court’s decision is available here.
About Exodus Refugee Immigration
Exodus Refugee Immigration helps refugees and other humanitarian immigrants in Indiana access housing, employment, legal services, English classes and other resources as they rebuild their lives.
About the ACLU of Indiana
The ACLU of Indiana defends the civil rights and liberties of all Hoosiers through litigation, advocacy and public education.
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