CINCINNATI — The Trump administration launched immigration enforcement raids across the country in recent days which resulted in upwards of 1,000 arrests, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

What You Need To Know

  • ICE raids have now been confirmed in several states nationwide including Ohio

  • City leaders in Cincinnati are monitoring the situation and evaluating what resources they have to support its immigrant communities

  • City council members says they currently aren’t aware of any arrests made locally

“You're seeing arrests happening all across the country. We do not want our community to panic here,” Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney said.

Kearney said they aren’t aware of any arrests made locally, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be proactive.

“Several organizations, including Immigration and Law, Refugees Center Catholic Services, and other organizations have gotten together and created a Know Your Rights brochure. It’s a card that people can actually carry with them,” Kearney said.  

The nonprofit Heartfelt Tidbits provides a variety of services to refugees and immigrants living in Southwestern Ohio. They connect them to housing and employment opportunities and assist with medical needs. Executive Director Sheryl Rajbhandari said they’ve seen an uptick in calls and their workload has increased.

“I think because of the broadness of it, there is a lot more fear from the population. Now they’re not sending kids to school or leaving their homes,” she said.  

As far as issues impacting Cincinnati, Rajbhandari told Spectrum News there needs to be more discussion on what additional support looks like for grassroots organizations. 

“Things like operational support. Also, they should evaluate what would happen if an organization like mine didn't exist tomorrow. What would be the impact of that? Does it matter or not matter? I think, as a city, we need to look at all those variables,” Rajbhandari said.  

Council members also filed a motion seeking a report to review the city’s hate crime laws.

“If there are some areas of opportunity, meaning some gaps we need to look at, then we can look at how to strengthen that. The key is to make sure we have effective policies and procedures in place,” Kearney said.  

Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney said the city has several different sources of funding for human services organizations, including the Boots On The Ground Fund. 

The City of Cincinnati is also looking to putting a link on the city’s website with helpful information for immigrants' families to be aware of.