Indiana AG Rokita issued unauthorized civil investigative demands against Evansville manufacturer, Haitian refugee-support nonprofit

On November 9, 2024, days after Attorney General Todd Rokita told Fox News Digital that illegal immigration had "created serious sex and labor trafficking risks in all communities," his office announced it had issued a civil investigative demand (CID) — a form of civil subpoena — to Berry Global Group Inc. (now Amcor), an Evansville manufacturer, along with several other Indiana businesses, nonprofits, and local government bodies, as part of what Rokita called an inquiry into potential labor trafficking tied to migrant employment. Roughly three weeks later, Rokita's office issued a substantially similar CID to the Haitian Center of Evansville, a nonprofit that provides English classes, employment assistance, and immigration services to Haitian immigrants and refugees. At least eight organizations statewide ultimately received CIDs under the same inquiry.

The CIDs demanded years of records — including hiring practices, work-authorization verification, and migrants' immigration status — but neither the demand to Berry Global nor the one to the Haitian Center identified a specific suspect, victim, or incident of trafficking. Both organizations moved to quash the demands, arguing Rokita had shown no reasonable cause to believe they possessed relevant information. The Haitian Center's attorney, Pat Shoulders, said the inquiry "has little to do with illegal immigration and everything to do with the political aspirations of the attorney general."

Updates

2025-10-08 — Vanderburgh Superior Court denied AG's petition to enforce the CIDs [4, 5]

Vanderburgh Superior Court Judge Robert J. Pigman denied Rokita's petition to enforce the CIDs against Berry Global and the Haitian Center, ruling that the demands "do not meet the statutory standard of reasonable cause and relevancy." Pigman found there were no complainants, no written or oral complaints, and nothing to suggest either organization had information relevant to a labor-trafficking investigation.

2026-07-27 — Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed, ruled CIDs unenforceable [6, 7]

A unanimous three-judge panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals, in an opinion authored by Judge Nancy Vaidik, affirmed the trial court and went further, finding Rokita had not shown he was even conducting a genuine investigation. "The record makes clear that the Attorney General is at most trawling for evidence of wrongdoing," Vaidik wrote, adding that "a mere hunch will not suffice." A spokesperson for Rokita's office said it was evaluating the decision and considering next steps.