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Residents urge Butler County to end ICE detention contract, cite jail conditions and demand transparency

Butler County Board of Commissioners · February 10, 2026

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Summary

Multiple residents used the public-comment period to urge commissioners to terminate Butler County's contract with ICE, raise concerns about jail conditions and request unscheduled inspections and more transparency about ICE detainees in county jails.

During the public-comment portion of the meeting a series of residents asked the Board of Commissioners to end Butler County’s contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), raise concerns about conditions in county jails, and request broader transparency and oversight.

Multiple speakers criticized the contract and compared ICE tactics to historical abuses, called for a halt to local cooperation with ICE, and asked the county to support comprehensive immigration reform. Brooke Hall of Oxford asked the board to end the contract, saying the county’s silence "condones and approves" ICE activity and urging commissioners to act. "Please end the contract with ICE," Hall said.

Other speakers provided specific requests and context: Susie Lou, a former teacher, cited recent state bills (she referenced Ohio House Bill 26 and HB 281) that would affect local police cooperation with ICE and asked commissioners to consider impacts on children and schools. Anne Jansen requested immediate transparency about ICE detentions across Butler County’s three jails and urged unscheduled inspections. Linda Snow Griffin listed economic and legal risks of continued ICE cooperation and recommended unscheduled inspections to reduce legal exposure.

Lois Mead said Butler County Jail holds approximately 357 detainees and asserted that only 14% have criminal convictions, arguing that about 304 detainees are non-criminal; Mead asked the board to end the contract. At the close of public comment the chair said there was no indication that sheriff’s office had contacted the county earlier in the morning regarding an influx of detainees and that the public comments would be closed and the board could discuss them among themselves.

What the board did: The Board did not take formal action on the ICE contract during the meeting. Commissioners and staff acknowledged the concerns and staff said they would provide information; staff also noted statutory limits on county authority over federal immigration policy. No vote or directive to terminate the contract was recorded in the meeting minutes.

Status: Residents asked for actions including ending the ICE contract, unscheduled inspections of jails, and more public transparency; commissioners asked staff and legal counsel to review procedural and statutory implications before pursuing any policy changes.