Since Trump took office at the beginning of the year, the number of ICE arrestees in Ohio jails has tripled, according to federal data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
What began with 111 detainees in two Ohio jails in January surged to 336 people in six jails by late June.
The Trump administration insists its immigration crackdown targets undocumented individuals with criminal records.
However, data shows otherwise—71% of the 57,861 people jailed nationwide on civil immigration cases have no criminal convictions.
“This isn’t what they said they were going to do,” said Lynn Tramonte of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, according to Cleveland.com. “They’re going after people who are following the law and putting them in jails.”
The rise in detentions has left many fearful of routine errands. “It has suddenly become dangerous to go grocery shopping, to go to church,” Tramonte said.
Veteran immigration attorney Margaret Wong notes an alarming shift. “It used to be that only people with multiple offenses were denied bond,” she said. “Now, minor infractions like traffic tickets are used to justify incarceration.”
As enforcement ramps up, advocates warn that the human toll is mounting—families separated, trust eroded, and communities living in fear.
