Columbus, OH – Today, the ACLU of Ohio, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance and others sent a letter to Ohio’s 88 county sheriffs outlining the dangers of carrying out President-elect Trump’s inhumane immigration policies. With Inauguration Day just around the corner, it’s expected that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will attempt to enlist state and local law enforcement to engage in Trump’s mass deportation agenda, both through 287 (g) agreements and ICE detention contracts. The letter reminds local law enforcement that there is no obligation to participate in federal immigration enforcement, and engagement could harm public safety, lead to serious legal liabilities, and impose heavy financial burdens.
- 287 (g) Agreements: delegate federal authority to carry out federal, civil immigration enforcement activities to police officers and sheriffs’ deputies. These agreements have a history of eroding public safety, imposing heavy financial burdens on localities, and leading to civil rights violations. No county in Ohio currently has an active 287 (g) agreement.
- ICE Detention contracts: ICE may also request to contract with Ohio county jails to serve as detention centers for immigrants facing civil immigration charges. ICE does not have to contract with state and local jails to incarcerate immigrants, and currently only two Ohio county jails participate in ICE detention, Geauga and Seneca. Civil immigration detention is not time-barred; localities may be asked to detain individuals with pending immigration cases indefinitely.
“President-elect Trump has promised that mass deportations are a priority for his second administration, and Ohio officials should know they have a choice about using local resources on a flawed, inhumane, and arbitrary immigration agenda. Compliance with ICE will not improve public safety or protect our communities. The ACLU of Ohio will do everything in our power to preserve the dignity and humanity of immigrants and asylum seekers living in Ohio,” added Jocelyn Rosnick, Policy Director for the ACLU of Ohio.
“The very concept of ‘civil immigration jail’ is inhumane. We’re talking about people who are awaiting a decision on a federal civil immigration matter. Taking these people from their homes and communities, while they await a federal process that could take years, is unconscionable. We’ve also seen what some Ohio sheriffs will do behind closed doors,” said Lynn Tramonte, Director of Ohio Immigrant Alliance. “Denying medical care to cancer patients, beating people up, racist epithets, pushing people down the stairs. It all happened in Ohio county jails contracting with ICE during the first Trump administration and is illegal and immoral. In fact, a civil rights lawsuit against the Butler County Jail is still pending in federal court. No one with such a blatant disregard for human life should be allowed to incarcerate immigrants for ICE. We’re listening, we’re watching, and we’re ready to act if needed.”
In addition to the ACLU of Ohio and the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, additional signees include: Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc., Bridge M. Haas, PhD. Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University; Central Ohio Jews for Justice; Cleveland Jobs with Justice; Columbus Mennonite Church; Dayton United for Human Rights; Dayton Anti-Racist Network; Ignite Peace; Immigrant Worker Project – Centro San Jose; the InterReligious Task Force on Central America (IRTF: Cleveland); Ohioans Against Extremism; Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change; Ohio Peacekeepers at the Polls; Transformations CDC; Showing Up for Racial Justice Central Ohio; Dr. Natalie Hudson, Executive Director, Human Rights Center; Miranda Cady Hallett, Director of Human Rights Studies, University of Dayton; URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
The organizations urge sheriffs to reject participation in federal immigration enforcement and ask any localities currently considering an ICE agreement to disclose the terms of potential participation for further review and consideration.
