“Operation Buckeye” is a Black Eye for ICE
Profiling Latinos, Creating Chaos, and Violating Rights
Over 214 Arrested, 80% Latino
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance has learned that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who dragged a pregnant woman on the ground in Minnesota has reportedly been on the ground in Columbus since last week.
In addition to warning the community about this important news, OIA is also releasing an analysis of ICE detention during the Columbus raids so far. The analysis, conducted by researcher John Drury, is based on publicly-available information. And, it is likely an undercount of the arrests and detentions under the so-called “Operation Buckeye,” given data limitations explained in the report’s methodology section. Only the government, possibly, knows the full extent of this campaign. Given how chaotically it has been carried out, even that may not be true.
Ohio Immigrant Alliance believes at least 214 people were arrested as part of this ICE operation and remain in detention — likely many more. Eighty percent appear to be Latino, plus three people who are Indigenous from Guatemala. The next largest group — Africans — comprises less than 10%. Fully 93% of those arrested are men.
Read the full analysis for additional details.
Said Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, “The violent predators in our community work for ICE. The Columbus raids are an attempt by the Trump administration to distract us from the true problem — people with power who think they can use it against others and get away with it. ICE agents like Samuel Saxon and Andrew Golobic, who have abused women for years. Agents like the one who knelt on a pregnant woman and dragged her through the street in Minnesota, who recently came to Columbus to raid this community. They are not here to make Columbus better. They are bringing violence. When Columbus leaders said ICE makes our communities less safe, that is exactly what they meant.”
“ICE is not a transparent organization. They avoid answering questions and, when they do provide information, they often lie,” said Tramonte. “But these things are true: everyone has human dignity. Everyone has rights. This ICE violence, this racial profiling, this danger that ICE is unleashing on our streets, must end. Ohio is our home. We live here — not these agents who came from out of town— and we are all part of building it. It doesn’t matter if you were born in Massillon or Mexico, if you are contributing to Columbus, this is your home.”
Columbus continues to speak in a unified voice, saying immigrants are welcome, ICE is not. The community has shown exactly what it means to take care of each other, setting up various networks to hold the government to the law and keep residents safe. They are delivering food to families who are sheltering in place, and creating other innovative, intelligent, and resilient structures. Learn about some of them here, and read the quotes below.
Rev. Jed Dearing, Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church (Capitol Square), referencing The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
“It is now our migrant neighbors in Columbus who live in a ‘tiptoe stance.’ Christmas is a season when the only tiptoeing should be the quiet placing of gifts under the tree. Instead, many of our neighbors are in hiding, with lights dimmed low, in fear of their families being separated. The cruelty of ICE invading Columbus and destroying families during a season where Christians celebrate the Holy Family, with the Christ child born in vulnerability, is not lost on many in the faith community. I’m heartened by how many people of faith are joining together, emboldened by the indiscriminate love of God to work for peace and goodwill among all people in the face of these horrors.”
Geronimo Ramirez (Maya Ixil), leader of COMUNIDAD SOL in Ohio
“Maya families in Ohio are the grandchildren of survivors of the Ixil Genocide (Guatemala, 1980–83). In Columbus, we have documented at least two detentions (December 2025), both involving Maya Q’anjob’al individuals, demonstrating that these immigration policies are not neutral and disproportionately harm Indigenous Peoples. Ohio is also our home, and we demand respect for our basic human rights.”
Rev. Jason Emerson, Rector, St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church (Dublin)
“Many Christian traditions this year are going to read the gospel of Matthew on Sunday mornings. I can’t help but think about the story of the holy family having to flee to Egypt to escape the violence of an insecure and despotic King. In Christ we see the immigrant. In the immigrant we see Christ. Near the end of Matthew’s gospel Jesus lays out that a righteous nation will welcome the stranger. I can’t help but notice the intentionality of ICE raids at this time of year. It is in deep contrast with the gospel of the birth of Jesus. For people to be unlawfully detained and deported is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Rev. Julia Joyce-Miesse, Rector, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (Granville)
“We stand with our neighbors, create relationships with our neighbors, and speak out for our neighbors when we witness power being used in destructive ways. In our faith tradition, we believe that God in Christ came down at Christmas because that is who God is…love. We are called to stand with our immigrant siblings because that is what love does.”
Maria Bruno, Executive Director, Ohioans Against Extremism
“In contrast to the inspiring leadership from around Columbus, what we are seeing from ICE is chaos, racial profiling, and zero accountability. An ‘arrest now, ask questions later’ approach isn’t just bad policing, it’s a violation of the U.S. Constitution, which protects all people from government overreach. Untrained masked vigilantes playing dress-up cops is un-American, and it makes us all less safe.”
Lis Regula, Co-Chair, Ohio Equal Rights
“Ohio politicians talk about wanting to grow the population of our state, while sitting silent as threats like these agents from outside of the state come in to terrorize Ohio families and communities. Some of Ohio’s politicians have even made comments that help to legitimize the bias we see in the racial profiling witnessed in Columbus. This past week, we have seen Ohioans keeping Ohioans safe. Our communities stand up for one another and our neighbors, regardless of the risks those in power try to inflict on us. Ohio is home, and we will continue to build a safer house for the future.”
Christian Espinoza, Board Member of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus
“On behalf of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus, we shared today how current circumstances are impacting our local business community. While our work is focused on Columbus, we also recognize that Latino-owned businesses across Ohio play a vital role in the state’s economy. In Columbus and Central Ohio alone, there are more than 2,200 Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses, and statewide more than 16,000, generating billions in economic activity and supporting tens of thousands of jobs. Our message is that we are united in supporting the businesses that contribute every day to the strength of our city.”
