- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in a 26-county Ohio area have significantly increased in 2025 compared to the previous year.
- Advocates and attorneys report that ICE is targeting not just individuals with criminal records but also those with pending cases, valid work permits, or no criminal history.
- Changes in federal policy have ended previous parole programs and limited the ability for many detained immigrants to be released on bond.
- Immigrant communities in Central Ohio are experiencing widespread fear, with some individuals avoiding work and public spaces to prevent arrest and detention.
Sandra Esqueda leaned face-first against an unmarked sedan outside her West Side apartment as two men in plain clothes, baseball caps and tactical vests cuffed her hands behind her back.
Feet away, her sons shouted at the men, asking who they were and what they were doing to their mom.
But the two men and three others — all of whom left in unmarked cars — did not offer clear answers, according to videos of the June 10 arrest filmed by neighbors and Esqueda’s daughter…