SPRINGFIELD — At least 21 people were held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Butler County Jail between Aug. 16 and Aug. 18, while community representatives in Springfield report fear among local Haitian residents following recent immigration enforcement actions.
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James Fluerijean, a representative with the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, said 17 people were detained by federal immigration agents throughout Springfield.
Videos circulating among residents, including footage reported to show a man being detained at a local car wash, have caused some community members to remain inside their homes.
Fluerijean said the heightened anxiety within the community began days earlier as residents tracked reports of enforcement operations.
“The fears and stress, the anxiety and all that, it started since Thursday,” Fluerijean said. “They have been taking people till the moment that I’m talking to you.”
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Fluerijean explained that support center staff received direct calls from community members regarding those taken into custody.
To assist families afraid to venture outside, volunteers with the organization have begun delivering necessities.
“We have to sometimes deliver food to them,” Fluerijean said. “We have some volunteers, as I said, like that help with that. It’s really complicated. Let’s say within a month, I don’t know what the situation gonna be. And it’s really sad for the people here.”
The office of Gov. Mike DeWine stated that no federal agency has directly notified state officials of enhanced enforcement operations in Springfield.
However, DeWine’s office indicated it has been in contact with Springfield Police, who noted they may have been contacted by federal authorities.
Requests for comment sent to Springfield city officials were referred to the city manager.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that officers conduct daily operations across Ohio but declined to specify locations.
Records at the Butler County Jail, an ICE detention facility located about 70 miles south of Springfield, show at least 21 individuals were held for federal immigration authorities between Aug. 16 and Aug. 18.
The jail records do not specify where those detentions occurred.
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