Tramonte testifies before Columbus City Council

OIA’s Executive Director, Lynn Tramonte, testified at a hearing on Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement Proposed Code Changes before the Columbus City Council Rules & Policy Committee today.

Watch the recording

Download Tramonte’s slide presentation

Read Tramonte’s prepared testimony

Said Tramonte, “Mass deportation cannot happen without the participation of municipalities and counties, who look to profit off of the arrest and detention of people who are charged only with civil law violations. Civil, not criminal. This turns pain into profit…. This also means that local officials have the power to not participate in such a destructive policy.”

OIA analyzed immigration jail data between January 20, 2025 and October 15, 2025, and found that the overwhelming majority of people in immigration jail in Ohio do not have criminal histories, much less violent ones.

Between January 20 and October 15, 2025, 351 people were arrested by immigration agents in Cleveland. Four hundred and twenty-one people were arrested in Central Ohio during this time period, plus approximately 280 additional people during Operation Buckeye in December 2025 — making Columbus’ total for 2025 over 701 people. Cincinnati recorded 849 arrests, and in other parts of the state, there were 2,799 people arrested on civil immigration charges. In each of these jurisdictions, individuals with no criminal history represent the largest share of arrests — by a huge margin. Again, these are civil charges, not criminal, and final 2025 data is forthcoming.

In her live remarks, Tramonte also talked about the chaotic and criminal tactics ICE uses to carry out "civil" arrests. "Civil laws are usually enforced in courtrooms and office buildings, calmly, not by masked agents with guns roaming our communities. ICE is using the tactics of criminals to stalk people while driving or going about their daily lives. They are arresting people who are part of our families and neighborhoods. People navigating U.S. immigration laws deserve a chance to fix their status — not to be stalked by masked agents with guns. What ICE and the Border Patrol are doing is dangerous for everyone."