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Residents urge Butler County commissioners to investigate and halt expansion of ICE detentions at jail
Summary
Multiple residents used public comment to ask commissioners to investigate alleged retaliation and due-process problems at the Butler County Jail related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions and to stop expansion of detainee numbers and ICE-certified deputy counts.
Several Butler County residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to demand greater transparency and oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions at the Butler County Jail and to ask the commissioners to halt any expansion of the county’s role.
Anne Janssen, who identified herself as a former school administrator, said the commissioners allowed Sheriff Richard Jones to sign an ICE contract in February and later permitted certification of 10 deputies as ICE officers. Janssen asked the commission to investigate alleged retaliation against detainees and to publish the names of those responsible for oversight of the ICE detainees at the jail. “We ask for greater transparency about the entire ICE process,” Janssen said, and asked the commissioners to halt any increase in detainee numbers or in the number of deputies certified by ICE.
Other speakers echoed Janssen’s concerns. Janice Urbanek said she opposes use of county resources to detain immigrants who “have no criminal record, no due process, and no or very limited ability to access legal counsel,” and called the practice “lawless, immoral, cruel, and unconstitutional.” Anne Brown asked the commissioners to rescind the sheriff’s permission to house ICE detainees, adding that many detainees do not have criminal records and are working in local jobs. Karen Albrecht said immigrants contribute economically and socially and that the county’s actions have created fear for families and children.
The commissioners closed public comment and, in response, said they would pass the remarks to the sheriff and the county prosecutor and that they “hear” the concerns expressed. The commission did not announce any immediate policy changes, investigations, or votes on the record during the meeting.
Why it matters: Residents requested an investigation into alleged detainee mistreatment, asked for public disclosure of oversight responsibilities and detainee information, and urged the commissioners to stop any expansion of ICE-related activity at the county jail. The issue prompted multiple speakers and may prompt follow-up from county officials.
