After President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive actions aiming to crack down on immigration, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced it has arrested about 7,400 people in the United States over the past nine days.
ICE has been spotted making dozens of arrests in Chicago, New York and several other cities and areas throughout the country, including in Ohio. ICE activity was reported across Northeast Ohio, including in Geauga County and near an Akron elementary school.
Akron Public Schools responds to rumors of ICE activity
Following the external lockdown of an Akron elementary school, Forest Hill CLC, Akron Public Schools released a press statement Tuesday regarding the rumors of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the area.
While some community members expressed shock, the statement ensured that “no ICE agents entered the school.”
These rumors followed sightings of ICE in the area as well as arrests made across Northeast Ohio. To ease rising concern, APS stated to have “implemented policies restricting access to school facilities to protect the educational environment.”
“We are encouraging all of our families to keep their kids in this school district,” Michael Robinson, superintendent of Akron Public Schools, said Tuesday.
Arrests in Geauga County
After the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers turned over 20 detainees to the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office Jan. 25-26, community members questioned whether or not it was linked to ICE appearances at local businesses.
Several employees were detained by ICE at the Cilantro Taqueria in Cleveland Heights Jan. 26. In response, some customers took to social media to express their concern, and several community members showed up at the doorstep of the Mexican restaurant in the following days to express their support.
Chief Deputy Thomas Rowan of Geauga County said receiving detainees from ICE was “nothing new.”
“We can get people from anywhere,” Rowan said.
Whether or not the detainees handed over Saturday night and Sunday morning included employees from Cilantro Taqueria remains unconfirmed. While the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office was not informed about the raids themselves, communication is not an issue, and ICE has long-standing formal agreements with the office, he said.
Tanner Smith is a beat reporter. Contact him at [email protected].