BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — The Monroe County sheriff will defend a department policy against a lawsuit filed by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita.

Rokita filed the lawsuit in July. He says an immigration policy of the sheriff violates state law.

The sheriff says the policy was crafted to comply with all laws and the Fourth Amendment.

Sheriff Rubin Marté said in a statement, “My office takes seriously our obligation to enforce the laws while respecting everyone’s constitutional rights. Our Standard Operating Procedure does exactly that.”

He says Rokita’s argument conflicts with a 2021 ruling from the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Rokita is a Republican. Marté is a Democrat.

This story was created from a story aired on WISH-TV.