BUTLER COUNTY — Residents of Butler County filled the Board of County Commissioners’ weekly meeting on Tuesday to protest the Butler County Sheriff’s Office to end their contract with the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Butler County Immigrant Justice (BCIJ) created a group of residents who attended the last 16 meetings to plead with their elected officials, according to our news partners, WCPO.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- 1 dead, 2 injured after rollover crash involving Ohio school bus
- Coroner reveals cause of death for father, 9-year-old girl recovered from Great Miami River
- Injuries reported after crash in Dayton
The contract currently allows ICE arrests to be held at the Butler County Jail.
Resident after resident took turns at the podium and spoke to the Board.
“Your ICE facility has created a disgusting stench in our town, and we want it gone,” one woman said.
Another resident said that the Sheriff’s focus on immigrant capture takes away his attention from other crimes.
At the end of the hour-long public comment section of the meeting, the Board of Commissioners responded to the group.
“I want to be clear that the Butler County Board of Commissioners does not direct, control, or influence the polices of the sheriff or any other Butler County office holder, whose budgets we approve,” said Commissioner Cindy Carpenter.
Commissioner T.C. Rogers told the group that he has no plans to end the contract.
“I’m not gonna cancel the sheriff’s contracts until I’m completely confident that our Butler County residents are safe from the huge masses of people that came here illegally,” said Rogers.
Following the meeting, the group stood outside with their signs to continue protesting.
The Butler County Jail is currently holding 350 undocumented immigrants in their jail, according to a Facebook post.
Sheriff Richard Jones was not available for comment.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
