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Columbus council hears broad package to limit ICE activities and protect schools, public spaces
Summary
City officials, police and dozens of community organizations testified in favor of a package of ordinances and a companion resolution aimed at restricting federal civil immigration enforcement on city-controlled property, increasing transparency and creating mechanisms to document alleged misconduct; several measures will be introduced to council on Monday for further review.
Columbus City Council convened a public hearing to review a package of measures intended to limit how federal immigration enforcement operates in the city and to increase protections for residents, particularly near schools, day-care centers and other sensitive locations.
Lynn Tremontae, executive director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, previewed statewide data showing thousands of civil immigration detentions since January and said those detained are often not violent offenders. "They are using detention as a weapon," Tremontae said, arguing that long stays and transfers impede legal defense and pressure people to abandon their cases. Her presentation cited patterns of transfers to county jails, and named Butler County Jail as a frequent receiving facility for Central Ohio detainees.
The legislative research office (LRO) described several draft code changes under consideration: a requirement that Council approve any 287(g) intergovernmental agreements; establishment of an evidence‑gathering repository to collect videos and other collateral; restrictions on using city‑controlled parking lots, vacant…
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