Cincinnati, Ohio, has become a target for the Trump administration's harsh immigration enforcement policies. The city's Price Hill neighborhood, a bastion of Latino life, recently experienced a shocking incident involving unauthorized wellness checks by police officers acting on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Incident at Schools
On 15 April, Tonina Lamanna, a 17-year veteran police officer from Gratis, Ohio, and a colleague attempted to question school administrators at three schools about children on behalf of ICE. The officers, whose sidearms were visible, failed to produce warrants and were denied access to students. The schools included Roberts Academy, where nearly three-fourths of the student body is Latino, and Western Hills University High School, which has over 400 Hispanic students.
Cincinnati Public Schools staff reported that the officers displayed a list of approximately 30 names and asked if any were enrolled. Staff confirmed enrollment of two students at Western Hills.
Community and Official Reactions
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval called the incidents 'disgusting on so many levels.' Rights groups say these actions reflect the frightening extent of DHS efforts under the Trump administration to target vulnerable communities. While police authorized by ICE can conduct wellness checks, they must do so under limited circumstances and within their own jurisdictions.
Last November, DHS launched an initiative with ICE and local law enforcement to 'protect the 450,000 unaccompanied children illegally smuggled over the border.' The Trump administration claims sponsors of these children were not properly vetted. An ICE spokesperson said, 'A local law enforcement partner attempted to verify school enrollment and conduct welfare checks on children who arrived unaccompanied across the border,' but declined to comment on future measures or specific examples of endangerment.
Officer Background and Fallout
Lamanna was previously fired from another police department in 2017 for alleged untruthfulness and filing false documents. She and officer Jeff Baylor were placed on leave after the incident. Gratis Mayor Kevin Johnson declined to comment, and a village administrator said a meeting to discuss the investigation would be held in May.
Broader Impact on Latino Community
Cincinnati has benefited from immigrant arrivals, but the Trump administration has targeted the city. Last year, DHS labeled Cincinnati a 'sanctuary city' before removing it from the list in August 2025. In May 2024, ICE agents arrested four immigrants, including a father with his family, in a Kroger parking lot in Price Hill.
The proprietor of El Mini Valle Mexican Store, who came from Guatemala in 2000, said, 'For about a week after that, we had basically no customers. People were too scared to come out.' The deportation of 19-year-old soccer star Emerson Colindres, who had no criminal record, also shocked the community.
Lynn Tramonte of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance noted, 'The possibility of an immigration arrest adds another layer of stress and anxiety. How can you learn if you are worried about being arrested, or your parent being arrested when they come to pick you up?'
Concerns have risen that police departments are sharing license plate reader data with ICE. According to DeFlock, the closest Flock camera to Western Hills is less than half a mile away, while Gratis, a village of about 800 people that is 100% white, has no Flock cameras within 10 miles.
A public meeting in Gratis saw residents protest the leave of Lamanna and Baylor, fearing it would affect safety. Baylor initially resigned but rescinded due to community protestations.
