Police in multiple Indiana communities are investigating the distribution of racist flyers that have alarmed residents and sparked calls for action. The flyers, found in neighborhoods and mailboxes, carried the chilling message, “Leave now, avoid deportation,” and urged people to track and report immigrants.
The flyers first appeared in the South Bend area before being distributed in Hamilton County, including Westfield, Fishers, and Carmel. Responsibility for the flyers has been claimed by a Kentucky-based group affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Jake Kurz, a spokesperson for the ADL, warned that this type of hate propaganda is becoming increasingly common in central U.S. states. “They hope to spread their twisted ideology to others who might be vulnerable to believing it or supporting their cause,” Kurz said.
He added that some states, such as Illinois, have addressed similar incidents by enacting littering ordinances to penalize the distribution of such materials. Kurz encouraged residents to report any hate-related flyers to local authorities.
Eunice Trotter, director of Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program, believes the flyers are symptomatic of the current political climate and the lingering influence of the KKK in Indiana.
“Rejecting it in a visible, aggressive way is what will make it go away,” Trotter said. She emphasized the need for communities to actively set boundaries against hate speech and intimidation.
“We’re not going to condone this. This is America. This is Indiana. This is Westfield, Fishers, Indianapolis, and you will not do that here,” she added.
Indiana has a fraught history with the KKK, which once wielded significant influence in the state. Trotter urged communities to remember this history and actively reject attempts to revive such ideologies.
The appearance of the flyers has reignited discussions about how to confront hate speech while protecting freedom of expression. Community leaders are calling for stronger legal tools and public rejection of such propaganda to ensure hate groups cannot gain a foothold in the state.
Residents who encounter hate-related materials are encouraged to:
- Report incidents to local authorities immediately.
- Document the flyers with photos or videos but avoid engaging directly with those responsible.
- Educate your community about the importance of rejecting hate speech.
Indiana’s communities are standing firm against this latest reminder of hate, determined to send a clear message: intimidation and bigotry have no place here.
