Columbus Ohio’s liberal mayor doubled down on the city’s illicit sanctuary policies over the weekend, reaffirming that city officials will not assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in immigration enforcement operations amid increased federal activity in the city.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther (D.) issued an executive order in 2017 stating that Columbus police will not investigate residents based solely on immigration status, a stance fully supported by the city’s liberal city council.
Columbus has 2nd largest Somali community in the United States with 8,280 immigrants. Minneapolis comes in first with approximately 17,320 Somali immigrants. The Somali communities of both cities have been accused of being heavily involved in various fraudulent welfare schemes amounting to potentially billions of dollars.
ICE launched Operation Buckeye in Columbus on December 16, targeting individuals deemed “the worst of the worst” among criminal illegal aliens, citing public safety as a priority. The effort has led to multiple arrests across the city and state, including illegals with felony drug convictions, assault charges, and DUIs.
In response, City Council President Shannon G. Hardin released a statement saying: “The City can’t stop them [ICE] from enforcing federal immigration law, but we don’t have to and won’t help.”
“These chaotic arrests in our communities are not the way to enforce our immigration system,” stated Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance. “Masked agents are trolling parking lots and stopping people to demand their paperwork. This is a hallmark of fascism. The administration is intentionally trying to divide our community. We need to understand why this is happening and take a stand.”
“Let’s be clear,” continued Tramonte. “In many cases, the Trump administration is taking legal status away from people who have it, so that they can deport them. They are arresting people who are paying taxes, taking them out of the economy, putting them in an immigration jail at taxpayer expense, and deporting them at taxpayer expense.”
Hardin, Councilwoman Lourdes Barroso de Padilla and State Rep. Munira Abdullahi (D) joined “raucous” agitators on Saturday night outside a hotel where federal agents were believed to be staying.
Barroso de Padilla told WOSU that she and Hardin would abide by the law, but wanted to join residents to make “it clear that they don’t want Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents in the community.”
The agitators blasted loud music from their vehicles and blared air horns all night long in the hotel parking lot in an effort to keep the federal agents from sleeping. Local law enforcement did not respond to the unlawful activity.
“We did not invite ICE into our community, and we are not trying to be hospitable hosts,” Barroso de Padilla explained.
Mayor Ginther and Police Chief Elaine Bryant held a press conference last week to emphasize that the Columbus Division of Police does not investigate residents based on immigration status and will not assist ICE in immigration enforcement.
They stressed that officers will only act if there is evidence of a crime or dangerous conduct, and reiterated that Columbus Police will be present to maintain public safety during federal operations.
City Attorney Zach Klein reiterated that Columbus police do not inquire about immigration status during emergency calls and that residents have the right to remain silent and not allow agents onto private property without a warrant.
In a video message to the city’s illegal alien community on Saturday, Ginther reiterated that city resources will not be used to assist ICE and urged residents to carry identification and remain calm when interacting with federal agents.
Chief Bryant confirmed that police officers will not cooperate with ICE operations and will only respond to criminal activity or dangerous conduct.
ICE has not disclosed the number or nature of arrests made in Columbus, but released a statement last week citing two individuals arrested on December 17—both with felony convictions—as examples of those targeted.
Those individuals were identified as Abdirisaq Hassan Mohamed, a Somali national with a final order of removal and multiple felony convictions including drug possession and robbery, and Wilmar Lozano-Alcantara, a Salvadoran national with a final order of removal and convictions for felony robbery and drug possession.
But the city council president indicated in his public statement that he
“We all know what this is: a cruel and wasteful effort meant to distract and divide us at a time when most Columbus residents are more worried about making rent than what it says on their neighbor’s papers,” Hardin said.
If he is defying ICE and thus obstructing law enforcement, WHY isn’t he being arrested and charged? If I interfered with a police officer trying to arrest someone or gave help to them to help them escape arrest? I would, rightfully, be arrested.
What he is doing is no different. The illegals are criminals. He -
Along with the others, who are part of this Insurrectionist movement, need to feel major legal pain and punishments.
They are radical, rabid animal-like ideologues and respond only to pain and punishment.