The Trump administration opened up a new front in its human trafficking crime spree — commonly referred to as “third-country deportations.” As Reuters exposed, they are sending gay, lesbian, and trans people to countries where their existence is not only illegal, but punishable by death. They had been granted protection from deportation by Immigration Judges, under U.S. law, but the government deported them anyway.

Reuters documented 40 cases of people who were “granted US legal protection after being persecuted for their LGBT status [and] deported to third countries in Africa that either criminalize same-sex relations or have been described by the State Department as hostile to LGBT people.”

That's just how it works. Immigration jail is a cold, terrible place. Jailers want immigrants to think they have no power and no one cares. But your commissary donations and letters let them know that is not the case. And immigrants take care of each other in immigration jail.

We've been putting money on commissary and phone accounts for detained immigrants since the first Trump administration, and there are a couple things we hear over and over again: "I wouldn't have survived without this. Thank you for helping me feel human again."

Trump's Afrikaner refugee policy is based on racism and outright lies. One of our partner organizations, the International Institute of Akron, recently made the difficult decision to reject federal funding for refugee resettlement because the Trump administration "essentially eliminated refugee arrivals."

High school student and artist Shema Asifiwe, language expert Manuel Chinchilla, PhD, and the Ohio Immigrant Alliance are preparing to publish the “Ohio Is My Second Country Coloring Book” in late spring 2026. Shema drew the pictures for this book by asking immigrants to tell him about their native places. Contrary to stereotypes we often hear about other countries, these are not constantly bleak or war-torn landscapes. There is vibrancy, beauty, and many happy memories, even in places that are experiencing conflict. His friends from all over the world were eager to participate.

The first organization to join our new sponsorship program at the Ohio Immigrant Hotline is Vibrant Ohio. For the entire month of March, VO is supporting our work to respond to the calls, texts, and emails coming into the Hotline from across Ohio. We are grateful for community partners who recognize that systems like these help keep us safe and protect all of our rights.  

Vibrant Ohio is a statewide organization that enhances local immigrant and refugee integration efforts to build a more inclusive, equitable and prosperous Ohio economy. They believe that immigrants, refugees, and the broader international community all make Ohio a more vibrant place to call home. Vibrant Ohio serves as a trusted connector to Ohio immigrants and refugees, including those in our major cities and a growing number of smaller communities.

Updates from Ohio’s Creative Community; the Hotline; True Public Safety, OIA in the Wild, and More!

The Ohio Immigrant Hotline is a public good that serves the entire state. That’s why we are inviting organizations, individuals, and businesses to show their support for the Hotline by sponsoring it today. It costs approximately $6,000 for us to run the Hotline for a month, including incident intake and fulfillment. We have three tiers of sponsorship available.

These are the six core functions of Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s work. This is how we respond to overreaches in federal immigration law enforcement and advocate for a fairer, more dignified immigration system for all.