This page is information, not legal advice. Ohio went from zero 287(g) agreements to 20 in 14 months. Operation Buckeye in December 2025 resulted in more than 280 arrests statewide in one week. ICE arrests in Ohio nearly doubled in 2025, with an eleven-fold increase in street arrests. The ACLU of Ohio filed a federal lawsuit in March 2026 alleging warrantless arrests, arrests of U.S. citizens, and targeting of people based on appearance. Columbus passed protective ordinances in February 2026. Butler County is the primary ICE detention hub. HB 26 - a statewide sanctuary ban - was pending as of mid-2026. Verify current conditions with the ACLU of Ohio, Ohio Immigrant Alliance, or a licensed immigration attorney.
Ohio's immigration enforcement landscape transformed in 2025. The state entered 2025 with no 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement and ICE and reached 20 such agreements by March 2026, covering 16 local agencies. ICE arrests in Ohio nearly doubled - from roughly 880 in 2024 to more than 1,770 in 2025. Street arrests, the kind conducted at homes, workplaces, and public places by agents not in uniform, increased eleven-fold in a single year. Operation Buckeye, a one-week DHS sweep in December 2025, resulted in more than 280 arrests statewide.
The ACLU of Ohio filed a federal lawsuit in March 2026 documenting specific instances of arrests that the ACLU alleges violated federal law and ICE's own rules: arrests without warrants, arrests of people without any assessment of flight risk, and the detention of U.S. citizens who were swept up in enforcement actions based on their appearance. The lawsuit is pending in federal court in Columbus.
Ohio cities have responded in varied ways. Columbus passed ordinances in February 2026 banning ICE detention centers within city limits, preventing city employees from working for ICE or CBP, and prohibiting ICE enforcement on city property. Other cities passed resolutions urging agents to identify themselves. Butler County, which lies south of Columbus near Cincinnati, has been the primary hub for ICE transfers and detentions in the state. A statewide sanctuary ban - HB 26 - was advancing in the Ohio legislature as of mid-2026.
Part 1: Your rights under federal law - everywhere, including Ohio
These rights come from the U.S. Constitution. They apply in Ohio regardless of immigration status, citizenship, or how you entered the country.
At your front door
The Fourth Amendment protects your home from government entry without your consent or a judicial warrant. A judicial warrant is signed by a federal judge, based on probable cause, and authorizes entry to a specific address. An administrative warrant - ICE Form I-200 or I-205 - is signed by an immigration officer, not a judge, and does not authorize entry to your home without your consent. Ask through the door which type of warrant is being presented. If it is administrative, you are not required to open the door.
During a traffic stop, street encounter, or public space
You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, your immigration history, or your status. You can say you are exercising your right to remain silent and want to speak to a lawyer. You can ask whether you are free to go. If the officer says yes, you may calmly leave.
The Ohio ACLU lawsuit documented that ICE agents in plain clothes and masks have stopped people in parking lots, outside stores, and near apartment complexes based on their appearance. Three hotel housekeepers in Columbus - two of them Puerto Rican-born U.S. citizens - were stopped in a parking lot without questions being asked before they were placed in federal vehicles. They spent four days in custody before being released when ICE confirmed their citizenship. This documented incident means that appearing Latino or Hispanic is not protection: U.S. citizens and lawful residents have been detained in Ohio. Know your rights regardless of your status.
Do not lie and do not provide false documents. Silence is a legal right. False statements are a separate crime. Having documentation of lawful status readily accessible can help resolve encounters quickly - but even lawful residents and citizens have been detained in Ohio as the ACLU lawsuit documents.
At your workplace
ICE may enter public areas of a workplace without a warrant. Private areas generally require a judicial warrant or employer consent. You have the right to remain silent in any workplace encounter. Ohio has seen workplace enforcement operations as part of Operation Buckeye and subsequent enforcement actions.
Do not sign anything without a lawyer
Documents presented during an ICE arrest may include voluntary departure agreements or stipulated removal orders that waive your right to a hearing before an immigration judge. Do not sign anything without speaking to an attorney first.
Part 2: The 287(g) explosion - zero to 20 in 14 months
Ohio began 2025 with no 287(g) agreements. By March 27, 2026, it had 20 unique agreements covering 16 local agencies. The ACLU of Ohio's March 2026 report, 'ICE in Ohio,' documented this expansion based on responses to open records requests across the state.
There are three types of 287(g) contracts in Ohio: Jail Enforcement Model agreements allow deputies to interrogate people booked into local jails about immigration status. Warrant Service Officer agreements train officers to serve ICE-issued detainer warrants. Task Force Model agreements allow trained officers to conduct immigration enforcement in the community - during traffic stops, at homes, and in public spaces. The Task Force Model is the most expansive and has been described by immigration attorneys as the one that raises the most civil rights concerns because it brings immigration civil enforcement into routine police encounters.
The Ohio attorney general issued an advisory opinion in August 2025 stating that boards of county commissioners could enter 287(g) agreements on behalf of sheriffs, but that sheriffs lack independent contracting authority. Despite this, sheriffs have continued signing agreements. Most Ohio counties and municipalities still do not have 287(g) agreements. Knowing your county's status matters.
ICE also has access to approximately 1,272 jail beds across Ohio through separate jail bed space contracts. The counties with jail contracts as of early 2026 include Butler, Delaware, Geauga, Mahoning, and Portage counties, as well as the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO), which covers Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, and Williams counties. Butler County is the primary ICE transfer hub, consistently maintaining the highest volume of federal immigration detainees in the state.
As of April 2026, the Gratis Police Department ended its participation in the 287(g) program, the first Ohio agency to withdraw. The list of participating agencies is evolving. Verify the current agency list with the ACLU of Ohio, which maintains updated 287(g) tracking.
Part 3: Operation Buckeye and the ACLU lawsuit
Operation Buckeye - December 2025
In December 2025, DHS launched Operation Buckeye, a one-week statewide enforcement sweep. More than 280 arrests were made across Ohio. ICE characterized the operation as targeting serious criminals. The ACLU lawsuit and subsequent reporting documented that many of those arrested had no criminal records, valid work permits, or active legal proceedings. Overall ICE arrests in Ohio during 2025 were roughly double 2024 levels, and street arrests increased eleven-fold.
The ACLU of Ohio federal lawsuit - March 2026
The ACLU of Ohio, Community Refugee and Immigration Services, and other organizations and law firms filed a federal lawsuit in Columbus in March 2026. The suit was brought on behalf of all people in Ohio who federal agents have arrested since April 22, 2025 for immigration violations without a warrant and without an assessment that the person was a flight risk.
The lawsuit documents specific incidents. Three housekeepers at a Columbus hotel were stopped in the parking lot by agents who jumped from vehicles without asking questions, placed in federal vehicles, and held for four days - two of them being U.S. citizens born in Puerto Rico. A man was stopped outside a Columbus Home Depot by four masked agents in civilian clothes; told his active asylum case was not valid; placed in handcuffs and leg chains; transported with ten other Latinos to Detroit and then to a jail in Michigan, where he was held for 27 days before a judge ordered his release.
The lawsuit asks the court to order agents to stop making warrantless arrests without assessing flight risk, to state in writing the facts surrounding warrantless arrests, and to expunge records from unlawful arrests. The case was pending in federal court as of mid-2026.
Part 4: Columbus protections - and what they cover
Columbus City Council passed a package of ordinances in February 2026 in response to Operation Buckeye and community pressure. The ordinances: ban ICE detention centers within Columbus city limits, prevent Columbus city employees from working for ICE or CBP as a side employment, prevent ICE enforcement on city property, prevent city agencies from entering into 287(g) agreements, and establish school and daycare protections making interference with those institutions a first-degree misdemeanor. A separate resolution urges federal agents operating in Columbus to provide identification and not wear masks.
These protections apply to Columbus city agencies and city property. They do not prevent federal ICE agents from operating in Columbus or in Franklin County outside city-operated facilities and property. ICE does not need city cooperation to conduct enforcement in Columbus. The Columbus protections limit what city institutions do - they do not limit what federal agents do independently.
Other Ohio cities have taken actions as well. Toledo and Springfield passed resolutions encouraging federal agents to identify themselves. These resolutions are non-binding and do not have legal enforcement mechanisms.
Part 5: HB 26 - statewide sanctuary ban pending
Ohio House Bill 26, pending in the legislature as of mid-2026, would ban so-called sanctuary policies statewide and require every police department in Ohio to honor ICE detainer requests. Jurisdictions that failed to comply would face state funding reductions. If passed, HB 26 would eliminate Columbus's ability to maintain its non-cooperation ordinances and would require statewide law enforcement cooperation with ICE detainers. Verify the current status of HB 26 with the ACLU of Ohio or Ohio Immigrant Alliance.
Part 6: What to do right now, before anything happens
Know your A-number and make sure trusted family members have it written down. Butler County is the primary ICE detention hub in Ohio. People detained elsewhere in the state are often transferred there. ICE also transfers people to facilities outside Ohio - the Columbus Home Depot detainee was transferred to Michigan.
Know that the ACLU lawsuit has documented arrests of U.S. citizens and lawful residents based on appearance. Carry documentation of your status if you have legal immigration status. Even with documentation, you may be detained briefly. Know the number for an immigration attorney before an encounter happens.
Know your county's 287(g) status. In counties with Task Force Model agreements, deputies can conduct immigration enforcement during routine patrol activities. In counties with only Jail Enforcement or WSO agreements, enforcement happens primarily through jails after arrest. In counties without agreements, the enforcement risk is primarily through direct federal ICE and CBP operations.
If you live in Columbus, know that city protections exist but cover only city agencies and city property. Federal agents can still operate in Columbus neighborhoods and workplaces independently.
Identify an immigration attorney before you need one. Community Refugee and Immigration Services, Ohio Immigrant Alliance, and the ACLU of Ohio are primary contacts. Margaret Wong, a Cleveland immigration attorney, has been engaged on enforcement issues in the state.
Prepare guardianship documents for any children. Set up a financial power of attorney so a trusted person can manage accounts and property if you are detained.
Part 7: Legal help and resources in Ohio
The ACLU of Ohio filed the federal warrantless arrest lawsuit and has published the most comprehensive tracking of 287(g) agreements and ICE contracts in Ohio through its March 2026 'ICE in Ohio' report. Their legal director Freda Levenson has been a key voice on enforcement issues. Their website is acluohio.org.
Ohio Immigrant Alliance, founded and led by Lynn Tramonte, is the statewide immigrant advocacy organization providing policy analysis, community connection, and advocacy. Their website is ohioimmigrant.org.
Community Refugee and Immigration Services is a Columbus-based organization that provides direct services to refugees and immigrants and co-filed the ACLU warrantless arrest lawsuit.
For immigration court case information, call the EOIR automated line at 1-800-898-7180. To locate someone in ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov. Ohio detainees may be held at Butler County Jail, Geauga County Jail, Seneca County Jail, Delaware County Jail, Mahoning County Jail, Portage County Jail, CCNO facilities (covering northwestern Ohio counties), or transferred to facilities in Michigan or other states. Call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024 if your person does not appear in the locator.
Immigration Advocates Network lists Ohio legal providers at immigrationadvocates.org.
Ohio transformed from a state with no local ICE enforcement agreements to one with 20 in 14 months. Operation Buckeye arrested more than 280 people in a week. The ACLU's lawsuit documents warrantless arrests and the detention of U.S. citizens based on appearance. Columbus passed city-level protections. Butler County is the primary detention hub. HB 26 - which would mandate statewide cooperation - was pending in the legislature as of mid-2026. Your federal constitutional rights apply in full: an administrative warrant does not authorize entry to your home, your right to remain silent is unchanged, and you cannot be compelled to sign anything without a lawyer. Because Ohio's documented enforcement has included arrests of U.S. citizens without questions asked, these rights matter for everyone - not only for people with immigration concerns. Knowing those rights, knowing your county's 287(g) status, and having legal contacts before a crisis are the foundations for protecting your family in Ohio.
This page reflects conditions as of mid-2026. The ACLU of Ohio's ICE in Ohio report was released March 30, 2026. The ACLU warrantless arrest lawsuit was filed March 18, 2026. Columbus protective ordinances passed February 2026. HB 26 statewide sanctuary ban was pending. Gratis PD withdrew from 287(g) as of April 2026. Verify the current 287(g) agency list and HB 26 status with the ACLU of Ohio or Ohio Immigrant Alliance.