(The Center Square) – Ohio state legislators announced a bill Wednesday that would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement from conducting operations in sensitive locations in the state.
The proposal follows a package of bills put forward by Democrats on Tuesday to mitigate the impact of ICE activit,y which has disrupted daily life both in operations and through public demonstrations against them.
That package included several bills that mirror initiatives in other states.
It includes banning ICE officers and other federal agents from wearing face masks or obscuring identification, prohibiting state agencies from sharing and collecting data, and protecting local law enforcement’s ability to investigate crimes in their jurisdiction.
Legislation would also protect the rights and safety of detainees, affirm lawmakers’ oversight of detention facilities, and ensure the governor’s approval for use of Ohio’s National Guard out-of-state.
“We cannot tolerate a federal enforcement strategy that treats communities like battlefields and people like expendable statistics,” said House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, D-Cincinnati. “We need order restored to our communities. Americans deserve to live free from the fear of government violence.”
The bill announced by Rep. Ismail Mohamed, D-Columbus, and Rep. Eric Synenberg, D-Beachwood, would restrict immigration enforcement in schools, hospitals, courthouses, places of worship, and certain organizations providing services to vulnerable populations.
“This legislation ensures that locations meant for care, reflection, and community support are not turned into places of fear,” said Mohamed. “Immigration enforcement should not occur in sensitive locations where it can harm the health, freedom, and wellbeing of Ohio residents.”
These “sensitive areas” were off limits per Department of Homeland Security policy, which shifted in January 2025 following President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” said Trump. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
Nevertheless, DHS has maintained that it does not target schools, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin saying in September, “ICE is not conducting enforcement operations at, or ‘raiding,’ schools. ICE is not going to schools to make arrests of children.”
The shift has led to a drop in attendance with many immigrant families afraid to send their children to school.
Last month, the detainment and subsequent court-ordered return of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in Minneapolis sparked nationwide outrage, though Ramos and his father were taken from their driveway.
“ICE’s actions in these sensitive spaces are cruel, invasive, and morally indefensible,” said Synenberg. “Dragging fear into places meant for healing, faith, justice, and care is not law enforcement, it is intimidation. No one should have to choose between getting medical care, practicing their faith, going to school, or protecting their family because of fear of immigration enforcement.”
