Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an 18-year-old on Monday who appeared at the Franklin County Municipal Court for speeding and driving without a license in late July.
Mainor Anariva-Bueso of Columbus was arrested in the public lobby of the courthouse by ICE agents the same day as a scheduled arraignment on the July 24 citation. He was taken to the Butler County Jail in southwest Ohio, where he remains in custody.
It's unclear what Anariva-Bueso's legal status is in the United States. ICE has targeted noncitizens in the U.S. and some legal immigrants like Brazilian national and asylum seeker Leonardo Fausto, who was arrested during traffic court by ICE in early June.
The municipal court said he lives at a west side Columbus address. A spokesman with Columbus City Schools said Anariva-Bueso is not a current student there.
Neither the Butler County Sheriff's Office or ICE responded to questions from WOSU.
The arrest comes as the court is facing increasing criticism for allowing ICE agents to arrest people inside the courthouse.
The 18-year-old got in an accident on I-71 at the exit for East Weber Road while going 60 miles per hour, according to the Franklin County Municipal Court's website. The speed limit in the area is 65 mph, but Anariva-Bueso's citation said he was following the car in front of him too closely.
Anariva-Bueso is the fourth person to be detained by ICE since the start of June. This includes Fausto, whose arrested sparked outcry in the community.
On Tuesday, the Franklin County Public Defender Collective union sent a statement to WOSU condemning the ongoing presence of ICE officers in Franklin County Municipal Court. The group said Fausto's arrest is what brought the issue to their attention.
"ICE agents have continued to maintain a presence in municipal court, creating an environment of fear and intimidation for our community. As public defenders we believe that our courthouses must remain a forum for all members of our community to seek justice and maintain the protections of due process," the statement said.
The union said ICE’s presence in the courthouse undermines those longstanding and foundational promises and protections.
Franklin County Municipal Court spokeswoman Jodi Andes said allowing ICE is the building has been a longstanding policy.
"The court's longstanding practice has been to allow law enforcement to operate in public areas outside the courtrooms. That has not changed, and the court has had no problems with that practice being followed," Andes said.
The public defenders union pointed out that the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas adopted rules in February to prevent ICE from maintaining a presence in their courthouse and making arrests.
"There is no justification—legal, judicial, or political—for why the municipal court cannot act likewise to protect its community," the union said in a statement.
The municipal court typically deals with misdemeanor offenses and traffic crimes like speeding tickets and trespassing. The common pleas court deals with felonies like murder and rape.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein told WOSU there's a lot of frustration in the community when ICE targets people who have committed no crimes or are only in court for a petty traffic violation.
"I don't think that it's a wise use of law enforcement resources to go after otherwise like law-abiding, hardworking individuals that are trying to survive in the land of opportunity, which is America," Klein said.
Klein said understands the court's policy and said the city doesn't want to run awry of federal law.
Klein said being more lenient on immigrants in situations like this would be difficult.
"I would be very cautious in making a policy decision that treats people differently based on their national origin, their race, their gender, their sexual orientation. I think that could certainly create a slippery slope," Klein said.
ICE did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.
WOSU has requested security camera footage showing Anariva-Bueso's arrest.
