Franklin Co. Sheriff must repeal pro-ICE policy
Columbus Dispatch story reveals the Sheriff’s Office has one of the broadest ICE cooperation policies in the country
Read the Columbus Dispatch story here or here (behind paywall).
The Columbus Dispatch exposed the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s booking policy and how jail officials work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Despite the City of Columbus declaring itself welcoming to immigrants, the County Sheriff is going above and beyond what is required in federal law, and feeding people to ICE who may be U.S. citizens or otherwise not deportable.
Jordan Laird writes: “According to the Sheriff Office's policy on ICE notifications, jail staff notifies ICE for a list of reasons. This includes when the detainee speaks little English, does not have a government-issued identification, requires consular notification or simply was born outside of the U.S.” The Dispatch posted the policy here.
Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of Ohio Immigrant Alliance, responded:
Speaking little or no English is not illegal in this country, nor is it evidence that someone is deportable. Not having a government ID is also not against the law, or evidence of immigration status. We do not live in a country that requires you to carry your “papers” on you every time you leave the house. And many people born in the U.S. do not have government-issued IDs.
Requesting support from a consulate is a legal right, and also doesn’t mean the person is deportable. Students, professionals on work visas, tourists, and anyone born in another country has the right to contact their consulate for help.
Finally, reporting every person who was born outside of the United States to ICE means the Sheriff is calling them about naturalized U.S. citizens. That is an egregious overreach that says people born in other countries are “perpetually foreign,” even after they have pledged allegiance to the United States.
Tramonte continued:
It’s important to remember that everyone booked into the Franklin County Jail is legally innocent. They have not yet been tried and convicted of a crime. Cases are dropped because the person arrested is innocent, or there is not enough evidence to prosecute them. People also make false reports about crimes, including when they are the perpetrators, as in situations of domestic violence. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is handing abusers a tool to control their victims. If the person they are targeting was born in another country, they can threaten o call the Sheriff’s Office and have them arrested, and the Sheriff will report them to ICE. Even people who are naturalized citizens, or have legal status in the United States, fear contact with law enforcement because of ICE’s overly broad deportation policies and reputation for making mistakes. Franklin County should be taking steps to reassure the public, not calling ICE as often as possible.
In the Dispatch article, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin attempted to justify the policy by saying: “This policy is not new — it reflects a longstanding practice our office has maintained in coordination with federal authorities for many years. It’s also important to note that the information referenced is already a matter of public record.” That’s politician-speak, not a reason to call ICE on anyone who was born in another country, or doesn’t have an ID. Procedure No. 802:1.8 has an effective date of December 26, 2022.
Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s Executive Director Lynn Tramonte spoke to the Dispatch about the policy.
"They're basically trying to feed people to ICE," said Lynn Tramonte, director of the Ohio Immigration Alliance. "They're giving ICE a bunch of junk, a bunch of people who are probably not even undocumented ... and there's no requirement for them to do that. They’re definitely targeting people based on national origin and ethnicity."
Tramonte said local law enforcement can't leave it up to ICE to do the right thing and only arrest people they're legally allowed to arrest. "ICE is arresting every person they can," she said. "They don’t care if this person is currently deportable or not."
Tramonte said local law enforcement can't leave it up to ICE to do the right thing and only arrest people they're legally allowed to arrest. "ICE is arresting every person they can," she said. "They don’t care if this person is currently deportable or not." Tramonte said ICE is putting people into detention centers in poor conditions, whether or not they have a work permit or open asylum case, so people will get desperate and agree to self-deport.
The Dispatch found evidence of exactly that. In 2024, ICE took custody of 11 people held at the Franklin County Jail. In just the first half of 2025, the Franklin County Jail handed 50 people over to ICE. The Biden administration — and every other presidential administration — deported people with criminal histories. The Trump administration, however, is cancelling legal status programs to deport more people, and detaining people who have active immigration cases in order to pressure them to agree to deportation. Consequently, the proportion of people being deported who have no criminal history is climbing dramatically. And, even if someone does have a “criminal history,” it is often for something minor like a traffic violation.
Columbus lawyer Robert Wisniewski recounted how Franklin County allowed ICE to pick up a client of his in April 2025 — after her criminal case was dismissed — and deport her. She left behind a husband and child. He said: "She’s in danger in her country. She was attacked by people with knives and machetes and medical records say she had to have 40 stitches in her back. Had she been released from the Franklin County jail, we probably would’ve appealed, we probably would’ve fought and who knows what would’ve happened."
“The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office must repeal Procedure No. 802:1.8,” said Tramonte. “It’s impossible for Columbus to be a great place for immigrants to raise their families, when the Sheriffs Office has one of the most pro-ICE policies in the country. Immigrants have been vital to Columbus’ strength and vitality. The Sheriff’s Office is betraying their contributions and trust.”
