Several dozen people protested outside of Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in Westerville on Friday after reports of ICE arrests continued ramping up in metro Columbus.
ICE's Westerville office is in a business park on Brooksedge Boulevard. The discreet space acts as a field office for much of central and southeast Ohio, accepting immigration hearing appointments.
Westerville resident Emily Crutchfield and others braved the freezing cold and held signs saying "Stop the Cruelty" and "This is an ICE Facility." The group later migrated to the busier Schrock Road to catch the eyes of midday commuters.
Crutchfield said she's concerned about schoolchildren being targeted.
"It's scary, it's terrifying and it makes me ashamed of my fellow Americans that this is something that we are allowing to happen, especially when we're a country supposedly built on immigrants," Crutchfield said.
Like others, Crutchfield criticized ICE agents for wearing masks and using unmarked vehicles while detaining undocumented immigrants.
"it's reminiscent of the KKK in the sense that we're doing something that they clearly believed in. That was very wrong and to me it's reminiscent of a demonstration of power and authority, 'cause there is shame to it," Crutchfield said.
ICE continued to leave questions unanswered sent this week from WOSU. It's unknown whether the agency is increasing detentions in central Ohio or how many people have been arrested this week.
Social media sites like Reddit are being flooded with reports of ICE accompanied by blurry photos and little information. One post claimed the Franklin County Sheriff's Office conducted an operation with ICE on Friday in the University District.
The Franklin County Commissioners issued a statement denying the sheriff's office cooperated with the federal agency.
"There has been some misinformation that the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has been involved in these operations. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the Office has not made any changes to their policies regarding immigration. They do not enforce immigration violations and are not involved in any ICE activities in Columbus, nor have they been asked to assist," the statement reads.
Hilliard resident Shane Bauerle was also at the Westerville protest. He said he's concerned the federal government won't only target immigrants.
"I think it's naive to say that it's only going to be them. That's the kind of mentality, it's going to bad for all of us down the line," Bauerle said.
Neither Bauerle nor any of the other protesters said they witnessed ICE agents making any arrests.
