Last weekend, OIA tabled at Columbus's 934Fest, an annual community arts and mural festival hosted by 934Gallery. Between sponsoring "The Torchbearers," a new mural by local artist Luka Weinberger, and a day full of live music and spoken word, it was a powerful reminder of what art and organizing look like when they show up for each other.

Dayton artist Bill Franz's exhibition "and I quote" explores immigration through ten quotations, including the Fifth Amendment. Visit the October 1st opening reception to support local art and OIA's commissary fund for detained immigrants!

Yesterday, a young man from Springfield died by suicide. According to his Instagram account and family, Pierre Damas Bel was devastated by the ankle shackle the Trump administration forced him to wear after taking his legal status from him.

He experienced bullying over it during his first week at Wright State University. Pierre was an honors student who graduated from Springfield High School in 2026 and a member of J-ROTC. He planned to go to medical school.

By Demba Ndiath: I spent four days in Springfield, Ohio, standing with members of the Haitian community during a period of extraordinary fear and uncertainty. I traveled as the Advocacy Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance to listen, assist, interpret, and show solidarity. I am not licensed to practice law, and my role was not to provide legal representation. Alongside other volunteers, I helped migrants complete their own requests asking immigration authorities to remove their ankle monitors or modify the conditions of their release.

In this post, Ohio Immigrant Alliance breaks down how police, Border Patrol, and ICE are really three branches of the same poisonous family tree.

The article quotes Cynthia Brown from the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity and various Ohio Immigrant Alliance publications on the immigration agencies’ histories, the agents they hire, public safety and Flock cameras, as well as solutions.

From OIA’s Demba Ndiath:

In June, I had the opportunity to travel from Ohio to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to attend The Brave of Us: Midwest Democracy & Power Summit, organized by the Immigrant Defense Network. The gathering brought together advocates, organizers, community leaders, volunteers, and allies from across the Midwest who share a common commitment to defending democracy, protecting immigrant rights, and building collective power.

Video recording, final report, data, and other content from the release of OIA’s new report, “The Worst of the Worst: 152 Sexually and Physically Abusive ICE and Border Agents; Implications for U.S. Communities and Actions Needed from Congress.”

Last month the nation learned, in horror, about the many reasons ICE should not have hired David Brouillette — the agent who killed Johan Sebastián while he was driving. At the same time, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance published a report about 59 other ICE and Border Patrol agents with violent and/or sexually abusive criminal histories. As soon as we hit post in late July, the report became obsolete.

On August 18, at 11am ET, OIA will release a major update, with nearly 100 new names, alarming offenses, and a panel of experts to discuss what Congress must do to protect the public from the “worst of the worst” — criminal agents with guns and badges.

Said Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, “Today, I am happy to say, Samuel Saxon no longer supervises people with authority over immigrants. According to Fox19, Samuel Saxon is no longer an employee of ICE. The government did not say whether Saxon resigned, retired, or was terminated. The answer matters, but what matters more is that he is gone.”

The Columbus City Council’s Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee held a hearing on the city’s use of Flock cameras on August 10. Sixty members of the public signed up to speak.

The Ohio Immigrant Alliance submitted this testimony, written by Executive Director Lynn Tramonte. Read it here.

The Cincinnati Enquirer published a beautiful story (with photos) about Shema Asifiwe, the high school artist behind the new “Ohio Is My Second Country” coloring book from the Ohio Immigrant Alliance.

The article captures Shema and some of his high school friends, returning to Roselawn Condon elementary school to spend time with the students there. 

Now, journalists, book reviewers, librarians, educators, and camp, scout, or other group leaders may request free review copies of Ohio Is My Second Country and From Welcome To Deportation via these media kits.

Salif Sarr is a Mauritanian-Ohioan pop star. Shema Asifiwe is the Cincinnati-based artist (and high school student) behind the Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s new coloring book. Demba Ndiath is about to publish his book about West African migration to Ohio.

They are all part of “Ohio Is My Second Country,” the Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s fourth presentation at the Columbus Arts Festival on June 13. 

Minnesota's Rebel Loon became a symbol of immigrant resistance that spread across the country. Now Columbus artist Luka Weinberger has created Ohio's version, the Rebel Cardinal, and OIA is selling the stickers at the Columbus Arts Festival on June 13th. Plus: the #BraveOfUs Tattoo Design Contest is open for submissions through June 30th.

Hey, this is Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance. I'll be speaking at the Coventry Village Library tomorrow night (Thursday, May 21), as part of their author series with Mac's Backs Books. You might not know this, but I co-authored a book with Suma Setty of the Center for Law and Social Policy, based on interviews my colleague Maryam Sy conducted with 255 people who were deported.

They are mostly Black Muslim men, deported from Ohio to West Africa after living here for decades. I know many of them personally. These are conversations most people have never had, and insights that are not often heard in the media. 

People who were deported are often discarded in the immigration policy debate. OIA’s #ReuniteUS advocacy program exists to change that.

In this post, Mustapha Komeh and Selly and Amadou Dia show was Ohio’s immigrant (and second-generation) leaders can do when they use their voices.

The goals of #ReuniteUS might not be possible soon. But we insist on changing U.S. immigration laws and policies to actually address human needs, social ties, family relationships, community benefits, and humanitarian protection, however long it takes.

From Welcome To Deportation is the forthcoming book from Demba Ndiath, Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s Advocacy Director, about West African migration along the “bottom route” to the United States.

It does more than diagnose problems and document pain. It advances solutions; improvements to today’s immigration system like guaranteed legal representation for people with cases in civil immigration court; a truly independent immigration judiciary, rather than one fully controlled by the Executive Branch; and an end to immigration jail.

The Ohio Immigrant Alliance (OIA) hosted a preview of its upcoming concert at the Columbus Arts Festival, called “Ohio Is My Second Country,” with Demba Ndiath, Shema Asifiwe, and Salif Sarr. Watch the video; read the summary; and view the presentation.

OIA’s concert will take place on Saturday, June 13, at 3pm on the festival’s Cultural Arts Center Stage at 139 W. Main Street (map). Attendees should ARRIVE EARLY (2pm or earlier), as the festival is large and OIA time slot starts right at 3pm.

On June 13, you can dance to hits from Salif Sarr, a Mauritanian-American pop star based in Columbus. Listen to this playlist to get ready; and order your concert t-shirt to wear at the festival. Salif is internationally renowned for his voice and songs that highlight Fulani culture and his love for his people.

Ohio Immigrant Alliance just released, “Ending Immigration Jail in Ohio: How and Why,” a report that breaks down the concept of immigration jail into simple terms; provides examples of successful community organizing to end ICE jail contracts in Ohio; and offers recommendations for a more logical and humane policy.

From May 23-30, organizers are planning a week of action to end ICE jail, with interfaith vigils in communities around the state.