OHIO — Federal immigration officers arrested more than 280 immigrants in Ohio during a multi-day enforcement effort conducted in mid-December, federal officials announced Thursday.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the arrests occurred between Dec. 16 and 21 as part of “Operation Buckeye,” a targeted enforcement operation carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Columbus and other parts of Ohio. The announcement came one day after protesters in Columbus marched from the Statehouse to City Hall to oppose recent ICE activity in the city.
The protest and a candlelight vigil held Wednesday night were organized by local immigration advocates in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman killed by an ICE agent in Minnesota earlier that day. The shooting has drawn national attention and prompted conflicting accounts from officials. ICE and the White House said the agent acted in self-defense, alleging Good drove a vehicle toward the officer. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said video of the incident does not appear to show an immediate threat and questioned the use of deadly force.
On Thursday, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security and Ohio native Tricia McLaughlin said federal agents were in Ohio specifically for Operation Buckeye, which had not been publicly announced when it began or when it concluded.
The Department of Homeland Security said some of those arrested had prior criminal records, including offenses such as assault and domestic violence, describing them as the “worst of the worst.” However, a review of Butler County jail records, where many detainees are being held, showed others did not appear to have criminal histories.
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance reported that of the 214 detainees it was able to identify, most had no known criminal records. Researcher John Drury said approximately 80% of those identified were Latino and 93% were men.
