Residents tell Butler County commissioners to end ICE contract, allege detainee mistreatment

Dozens of residents addressed the Butler County Board of Commissioners during the public‑comment portion of the Feb. 10 meeting, urging the board to cancel the county’s contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement and citing due process and humane‑treatment concerns for detainees.

Anne Janssen, who identified herself as a resident of 7 Mile, told commissioners she and a regular group "stand for justice and due process for all" and asked the board to "immediately cancel your contract with ICE," saying many detainees are not criminals and are being treated inhumanely. "People who have not committed any crime do not belong in jail," Janssen said.

Other speakers echoed those concerns. Linda Spurrier of Hamilton said the county jail was detaining people whose only alleged offense was entry to the United States and described detainees being denied sunlight and adequate conditions. "More and more it looks like jails like ours will be asked to maximize their capacity to incarcerate non‑criminals," she told the board and asked whether the Department of Homeland Security had attempted to purchase warehouses in Butler County to convert them into detention facilities.

Lois Smead, also from Oxford, cited figures she said came from detentionreport.com, stating that Butler County had 383 detainees, of whom 327 were non‑criminals, and urged commissioners to reconsider the local contract. Sharon Palachi of Liberty Township offered a personal account of immigrant residents who contributed to the community and warned against dehumanizing rhetoric. Kathy McMahon Klosterman of Oxford delivered letters and a map for commissioners' review and encouraged them to exercise their authority on the contract question.

In response to public comment, the presiding official cautioned that cancelling a county agreement would not change federal immigration law or ICE's authority. "Immigration law is created by Congress, interpreted by federal courts, and enforced by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement across the entire country," the presiding official said, noting that federal agents would remain authorized to investigate, arrest and detain and that county commissioners cannot rewrite federal immigration law. The official said ending a local agreement might change who coordinates enforcement on the ground but would not end deportation proceedings or federal jurisdiction.

Public comment closed without a recorded motion to change the county’s agreement during the meeting. Several speakers said they had submitted written materials for commissioners to review. The board accepted routine reports and adjourned; the transcript shows no formal vote to end the ICE agreement on Feb. 10.