Back Home Again in Indiana
21st Century KKK Hosts a Mass Deportation Rally in Fishers, Indiana Staring Greg Bovino as their Grand Dragon
Like a biblical plague of locusts or an apocalyptic 100 year flood, they’re back! From 1922-1925, Indiana was known as the center of the national Klan movement. In 1924, Indiana voters elected Klansman Edward Jackson as Governor. Three years earlier, while serving as the Secretary of State, Jackson authorized the Indiana charter of the Ku Klux Klan. An Irish journalist accused Jackson of being the highest ranking official to wear the “shroud of a terrorist and the mask of a highwayman”, but the voters shrugged it off. Ed Jackson was one of them, a neighbor, son of a millworker, war veteran, small town lawyer and a good Protestant white boy.
Jackson’s campaign was supported and advised by D.C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of the KKK. Stephenson was a flamboyant politico, traveled in elite circles, extremely wealthy and significantly influential in Hoosier politics. It is believed that during that time one out of three native born Hoosier men were card carrying members of the KKK. Their wives belonged to Klan women’s auxiliaries and their children wore masks and marched in parades as the Ku Klux Kiddies. Being a Klan family was as American as apple pie.
D.C. Stephenson migrated from Oklahoma to Evansville in 1920 and became involved in Indiana Democratic politics. He became a Klansman while in Indiana, and built it into a regional political and social empire. His pitch was very clear:
“I did not sell the Klan to Indiana on hatreds. That is not my way. I sold the Klan on Americanism, on reform.”
Stephenson further clarified that Hoosiers knew exactly what they were signing up for, the absolute superiority of one race and one religion and the inferiority of all others—Catholics, Eastern European Jews, Polish, Greeks, Asians and Blacks.
With Stephenson’s influence, Indiana passed the world’s first eugenic sterilization law, targeting “idiots, imbeciles, and confirmed criminals” as the statue dictated. He peddled the idea that ‘real’ Americans were losing their country, and only the Klan could save the nation. He wrapped this message around the flag and peppered his speeches with Bible verses. Many of the KKK members were preachers and Klansmen filled the pews on Sunday mornings. Sound familiar?
Did You Know:
A century later, on August 1, 2026, in an undisclosed, secret location, Save Heritage Indiana is hosting a Mass Deportation Rally in Fishers, Indiana. The rally is being promoted as the first such rally, and Greg Bovino is slated to be the main speaker.
Save Heritage Indiana is a non-profit group whose mission echoes the 20th century KKK. Their webpage warns that “ our world is being destroyed". The opening salvo is that “our home will be erased’ and they are looking to recruit patriots to ensure this doesn’t happen. It’s as if the ghost of D.C. Stephenson is whispering in their ears.
Their enemies—asylum seekers and immigrants regardless of legal status
Their battle plan—-gathering an army and training the next generation of right wing leaders.
Their hero—Greg Bovino
Endorsements from elected officials —Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith, Rep. Chris Jeter HD88, Brandon Harnish, Wells County Councilman, Rep. Zach Payne, HD 66
Their policy mastermind—Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, avowed white nationalist.
As a reminder, Greg Bovino was a longtime border patrol agent. He led the immigration crackdown in Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans before being appointed by Trump to lead ICE’s efforts in Minneapolis, MN. Bovino was demoted after agents under his command executed two civilians, Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January 2026.
The German media platform, Der Spiegel, reported that Bovino’s choice of clothing and style resembled the ‘Nazi esthetic’ with his green overcoat and close cropped hair. Politico suggested his clothing choice symbolizes a shared military vocabulary and sends the message of the militarization of immigration enforcement. When civil servants begin to ‘dress like war’, then it follows that they act like combatants.
Why It Matters:
Governor Mike Braun and Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith are completely aligned with Stephen Miller’s implementation of Trump’s penchant for mass deportation; a lawless and reckless policy that has resulted in deaths, human suffering, family separation and terror in our cities. Under Miller’s and Bovino’s leadership, ICE has become a para military force.
Just like the KKK, they defend their cruelty under the guise of ‘law and order’, and suggest that the country is ‘at war’ and being invaded by immigrants who want to destroy the American culture and the American way of life.
White Christian nationalism is a direct descendant of the Ku Klux Klan, they share the same roots. In this 21st century iteration, they leave wearing the white hoods to ICE agents wearing black masks while their leader dresses like a war general.
The co-founders of Save Heritage Indiana are Nathan Roberts and Daniel Poynter. Nathan is a fresh faced Gen Zer whose resume includes being on “Brain Game” in high school, being a Trump supporter since 2015 and claims to be an ‘unapologetic’ Christian; Daniel was a fellow in the Mitch Daniels Leadership Fellowship program and now is a tech entrepreneur skilled at using AI to ‘achieve results’.
We have seen this movie before. In 1924, our Governor was a Klansman, befriended and supported by the Grand Dragon of the KKK. In 2026, our Governor is a MAGA loyalist and our Lt. Governor is a pastor and white Christian nationalist. Beckwith is providing a video presentation for a rally that is being orchestrated by “the two friends who realized the world they grew up in is being destroyed”. Native born white men selling Americanism and reform.
What You Can Do:
Attend the Hoosier Hospitality March on August 1st. This counter rally is being planned by a host of civic and grassroots organizations. The rally begins at 3:00 pm at Holland Memorial Park in Fishers, Indiana. It will include a march to the Municipal Center where a vigil will be held for the recent ICE murder victims. The march will then continue back to Holland Park. The rally will conclude at 6:00 pm.
The march and vigil is a show of solidarity and love for our immigrant brothers and sisters. It is a commitment to living in a pluralistic democracy, and a testament to our belief in due process and the rule of law—for all people, regardless of power or privilege.
Bring at least 2 friends, family members or neighbors to the march with you on Saturday. Stay informed, but avoid doom scrolling and limit your screen time. Rely on trusted sources of news and information; legacy media must not be your only source of news. Some of H4D’s recommended sources include:
Stay connected and create relationships beyond your circle. Have courageous conversations. Remember that joy is an act of resistance. Do what you love and find what is yours to do for this moment. This movement is organic and self-organizing, trust that there are others finding their path, but we all need to do our part. Together we are enough!
See you on Saturday!
Marching in Love and Resistance,
Debbie & the H4D Team
