Tramonte: Are Butler County Commissioners Afraid of Sheriff Jones?
Jail Abuses ARE Taxpayer Problem, Require County Leadership
Hamilton, OH - The Butler County Commissioners’ meeting on November 18 was packed with residents opposed to the “dirty money contract” the County has with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). So many people attended the meeting, some had to sit on the floor. Resident after resident spoke out against jailing immigrants for civil immigration purposes — twenty in total — saying things like “Your ICE facility has created a disgusting stench in our town, and we want it gone,“ and “You are empowering a bounty hunter.” None spoke in favor of the ICE contract.
While Commissioners have claimed they are powerless when it comes to the jail contract with ICE, they voted to authorize it and could therefore end it. Could it be that they are afraid of angering the Sheriff?
A resident addressing Commissioners pointed out that “When the sheriff is focused on immigrant capture, his attention is away from other crimes.” That’s true. But also, the ICE contract is a way for Sheriff Jones and his deputies to commit their own crimes against a captive audience of people, who simply want to work and take care of their families.
Following is a statement from Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance:
“Leaders are elected to lead, not hide. The Butler County Commissioners might be afraid of Sheriff Jones, but it’s still their job to make sure our government works for the good of society, and uses tax dollars wisely. Abuses happen every single day in the Butler County Jail. Immigrants are incarcerated indefinitely, without any sort of criminal charge. They are locked in cells for upwards of 19 hours a day. They never see sunlight. Guards insult and belittle them, sometimes physically assaulting them. People with serious and even fatal illnesses are denied medical care. The conditions are truly tortuous. Jail is an extreme response to a civil law matter. Immigration jail should not exist, and it definitely should not exist under Sheriff Jones’ watch.
“We know about the abuses at Butler because we hear the same experiences, over and over again. They happened the first time Butler had an ICE contract and they’re happening again. Sheriff Jones is a bully. He doesn’t see immigrants — or anyone who is incarcerated — as human beings. He doesn’t see them as human beings, and he thinks he can do whatever he wants inside his jail — the law be damned. He’s the type of person who goes into law enforcement so he can abuse people and get away with it. We, at least, won’t let him.
“There is a real problem at the Butler County Jail, and it goes beyond the ICE contract. There’s been a problem there for years, as evidenced by the number of lawsuits the County has had to defend and settle in court, at taxpayer expense. Are the Butler County Commissioners too afraid of the Sheriff to show leadership? Or will they admit the contract must end, and help guide the county out of this mess?”
Background
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance has been working with immigrants incarcerated in the Butler County Jail for ICE and local leaders to demand an end to the contract since the first Trump administration. For four years, the contract was gone. Sheriff Jones and his deputies have attracted numerous lawsuits for physical abuse, racism, medical and mental health neglect, and violations of constitutional and civil rights — most brought by people who are not immigrants. Jones even allowed many U.S. citizens to die in his jail by denying them help during substance withdrawal. There are currently two lawsuits pending against the jail due to physical assaults by deputies, one from plaintiffs identified by the Ohio Immigrant Alliance and another from a U.S. citizen who experienced similar abuse.
Having an ICE contract allows Sheriff Jones to incarcerate immigrants who are not being charged with crimes, but face potential deportation according to the Trump administration’s illogical immigration policies. Many people detained in the jail for ICE have legal work permits and family members who are U.S. citizens. They are paying taxes and working through the immigration process.
People incarcerated in the Butler County Jail for ICE included former Cincinnati Children’s Hospital chaplain Ayman Soliman, whose legal immigration status was removed from him in error, and recently restored. He spent three months in the Butler Jail, under conditions he described as torturous. His experience echoed that of many people we have interviewed at the Ohio Immigrant Alliance over the years.
During the first Trump administration, brave immigrants who were incarcerated spoke out against the abuses they experienced there. In 2021, Sheriff Jones lost his contract with ICE, because the Biden administration was going to make him follow the law and respect immigrants’ human rights. Despite warnings to County Commissioners and a lawsuit that remains pending from this time period, Jones got his contract back during the second Trump administration and the abuses restarted.
Butler County residents, organized under the banner of Butler County Immigrant Justice (BCIJ), did not mince words when addressing the Commissioners this week. They have been showing up to meetings for five months, and vowed to continue doing so until the contract is canceled.
Read about the history of the Butler-ICE contract, its 2021 cancellation, and the ongoing lawsuits. A case study about the campaigns to end ICE contracts at the Morrow and Butler County Jails is available here.
