The village of Utica in northern Licking County became the first known law enforcement agency in central Ohio to enter into a formal partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE keeps a list of more than 2,000 agencies around the U.S. that work with federal immigration authorities under a 287(g) agreement. Under this partnership, Utica's five police officers will work with ICE as part of a taskforce.
Other agencies, like the Butler County Sheriff's Office, share jail space with ICE under the agreement.
The agreement allows police officers to enforce limited immigration authority while performing routine police duties. This essentially means police who identify an undocumented immigrant agree to arrest and hold the immigrant for ICE to detain.
Utica Police Chief Russ Ciballi said in a statement his department entered into the agreement to strengthen the village's competitiveness for federal grant funding, including funds that could support a school resource office in local schools.
Ciballi said the department isn't establishing immigration patrols or making officers seek out people based on immigration status.
"Ultimately, the Village's objective is straightforward: secure additional resources for local public safety, strengthen safety within our schools, and continue providing community-oriented policing without unnecessarily increasing the burden on local taxpayers," Ciaballi said.
The full list of 287(g) agencies is available on ICE's website.
