LORAIN, Ohio — Following President Donald Trump’s executive orders cracking down on immigration enforcement, many states have followed suit — proposing bills that echo those orders and require state and local law enforcement to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Since January, Victor Leandry, the executive director of El Centro, has been dealing with ICE actions that have affected his community.
“We have seen some deportations, many of them because of minor traffic violations,” Leandry said.
The City of Lorain has one of the largest Hispanic populations in the state. While the majority are Puerto Rican and not at risk of deportation, the fear still exists.
The crackdown on immigration led Leandry and other Latino organizations to create the Northeast Ohio Latino Connections. Along with educating and connecting the community, their goal is to push back against new legislation targeting immigrants.
“Ohio is having a Republican moment,” Leandry said.
Over the past few months, lawmakers have introduced several immigration-related bills, including House Bill 26, which Republicans call "The Protecting Ohio Communities Act.” It would require local law enforcement to assist ICE and would defund so-called sanctuary cities.
“That compliance says you must help federal law enforcement officers when you come in contact with an individual that we have a detention holder on, and you shall inform ICE and hold them for 48 hours," said State Rep. Josh Williams.
House Bill 200, which the GOP dubbed— The America First Act — would make entering Ohio as an undocumented immigrant a felony, increasing penalties.
“You get caught, you're going to be, you know, put in jail for a year and have a $500 fine. When you get out, you're going to be asked to leave within 72 hours,” said State Rep. Gary Click.
Other states that have passed similar legislation are now facing legal challenges, as the U.S. Constitution grants the federal government exclusive authority over immigration. But that’s not a concern for Click. He and Williams believe the state should play a role in addressing immigration issues.
“There are lawsuits that have been filed, but no case has been settled. As you know, I'm not afraid of lawsuits,” Click said.
Not every lawmaker is on board. When asked about the proposed legislation, the Speaker of the House, Matt Huffman, had this to say:
“First is immigration policy, and enforcement is primarily a federal government effort to the extent that states through bureaucracies, through executive branches, through local governments interfere with the enforcement of immigration policy by the federal government, we need to make sure that that doesn't happen."
As for Leandry, he fears the new laws could reverse years of progress in building trust between communities and law enforcement.
“This kind of just going to open the doors for discrimination, profiling, “Leandry said, “Massive deportation is not the answer. It is time to talk about immigration reform.”
