House Republicans approved a bill Thursday to enhance Indiana’s role in enforcing federal immigration law. Rep. J.D. Prescott’s (R-Union City) bill would give the attorney general’s office more authority to investigate businesses that might be employing undocumented immigrants — and creates penalties for those that do.

The Indiana House has approved a bill that prohibits local governments and universities from restricting immigration enforcement and to ban employers from hiring people in the country unlawfully.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 9-4 along party lines Monday to advance a sweeping immigration bill that would give Indiana's governor, under the advice of the attorney general, discretion to withhold state funding from local governmental bodies that do not comply with federal immigration enforcement.

Indiana law already requires local governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. A House committee-approved bill would add more specificity to that statute, regarding law enforcement agencies.

At least in their original form, these are some bills that failed to pass committee in time for Monday's deadline.

Iowa police and sheriff’s departments would be required to enforce any federal order to detain someone suspected of being in the country illegally under a bill advancing