Multiple pieces of
immigration-related legislation
are making their way through the Ohio Statehouse, including a bill just passed by the Senate that would make it easier for ICE agents to arrest people they suspect of being illegal immigrants.
Senate Bill 172
, introduced by Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson), who is currently running for state treasurer, would allow ICE agents to make arrests in public spaces such as courthouses and state-funded schools — with or without a warrant.
The bill just passed through the Senate with a vote of 23-8 and now moves to the House.
SB 172 also bars local officials, including judges, from interfering with ICE enforcement efforts.
Supporters claim the legislation would improve public safety by making it easier to deport undocumented immigrants.
However, critics warn the bill could result in racial profiling, deter immigrants from attending court, and conflict with federal law.
Immigration attorney Margaret Wong said her clients, even those with proper documentation to be in the U.S., are growing increasingly fearful of leaving their homes.
“What ICE is doing now is they’re picking everybody up. They’re going to a restaurant, pick up five people, release people who already have green cards, release people who have this, who have that, and then just hold on to people who have no papers,” said Wong. “It is scary for young Americans, anybody who don’t look like them.”
Meanwhile, as attention around ICE enforcement grows, Geauga County finds itself at the center of an immigration debate of its own.
Geauga County is home to one of six ICE detention centers in Ohio. Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand says they’ve had a contract to house ICE detainees for two decades. Currently, the facility holds 44 immigrants, although the number has fluctuated over the years between 35 and 80.
The sheriff emphasized that his deputies are not authorized to arrest immigrants unless they sign a 287(g) agreement with ICE — a step he says the department is now considering.
“Until we have that 287(g) training, technically we can’t arrest them on that warrant,” said Hildenbrand. “So that’s what we’re looking, we’re not looking to go proactively search around for people. We want the ability that if somebody has a warrant to arrest them, that we can do that or we could serve them with papers while they’re in our facility.”
The county is also facing legal action.
The ACLU of Ohio filed a lawsuit
after the sheriff’s office refused to release a copy of the ICE contract. Hildenbrand claims they’re following federal instructions, because ICE told them not to release the information.
RELATED:
Geauga County sued to release contract for ICE detainees
Despite some community protests over the detention center, Hildenbrand defends the program’s value.
“At some point, if our local population increases to where we need the bed space, then we’ll reduce the number of ICE people, because our local people are the priority,” said Hildenbrand. “But the ICE people are treated the same, and it brings in revenue for our county.”
