The alliance estimates that 80% of detained people appear to be Latino. Africans make up another 10% of detained people. Additionally, only 7% of detained people are women.
ICE officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from this news outlet. The agency said in a Dec. 20 release that Operation Buckeye was launched Dec. 16, “targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Columbus and throughout Ohio.”
The Dec. 20 release names 10 men arrested by ICE, who were from six different countries and had criminal convictions ranging from drug trafficking and assault to open container violations.
“ICE never hesitates to brag when it arrests people who have committed actual crimes,” the Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s report says. “The agency released a list of just ten people with criminal histories — ten out of a pool of more than 214 — and at least three of these were arrested before the operation began."
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance believes its analysis is an “undercount of the total number of ICE arrests and detained people,” as roster information isn’t available for every jail in Ohio and Michigan. Some Columbus-area residents have been detained briefly and released after questioning.
“When Columbus leaders said ICE makes our communities less safe and we don’t need them here, that is exactly what they meant,” said Ohio Immigrant Alliance Executive Director Lynn Tramonte.
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance said that citizens, legally-authorized immigrants, and people with legal work permits and pending immigration cases are among those being detained, gathering that information in part from Columbus-area media outlets.
The analysis also noted that the timing of the Ohio raids has impacted local businesses and faith communities.
Officials with the Dayton Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said they’re actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with community partners.
The Hispanic Chamber said it is “aware of confirmed ICE activity reported in the Dayton area.”
“Immigration is not only a human issue, it is an economic and business issue,” the chamber shared in a statement on social media. “Workforce participation, employee attendance, customer behavior, and overall business operations are directly impacted when uncertainty affects our families and neighbors. Hispanic-owned businesses feel this immediately.”
More than 26,000 immigrants live and work in Montgomery County. Per Census data, the foreign-born population in Butler County is a little less than 32,000 people (8% of the overall population reported in 2024).
“We encourage community members and business owners to stay informed and to refer any immigration-related questions to trusted legal and advocacy partners,” according to the Hispanic Chamber.
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