Community members and rights groups have criticised police officers from Gratis, Ohio, who conducted so-called 'wellness checks' on behalf of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at three schools in Cincinnati earlier this month. The officers, who were visibly armed, attempted to question school administrators about children attending the facilities but were denied access after failing to produce warrants.
The incidents occurred on 15 April at Roberts Academy, Western Hills University High School and a third nearby school, where officers displayed a list of approximately 30 names. School staff confirmed that two of the named students were enrolled at Western Hills. The officers, who were from a jurisdiction 50 miles away, did not disclose they were working for ICE until later.
Cincinnati's mayor, Aftab Pureval, described the visits as 'disgusting on so many levels'. Rights groups argue the actions reflect an alarming escalation by the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration to target vulnerable communities. The department launched a programme last November aimed at verifying the welfare of unaccompanied children who entered the US during the Biden administration.
One of the officers involved, Tonina Lamanna, a 17-year police veteran, was previously fired from another department in 2017 for allegedly being untruthful and filing false documents. Both Lamanna and her colleague, Jeff Baylor, have been placed on leave pending an investigation. The mayor of Gratis declined to comment on whether he knew of the operation.
An ICE spokesperson said: 'ICE does not target schools for enforcement actions. A local law enforcement partner attempted to verify school enrolment and conduct welfare checks on children who arrived unaccompanied across the border.' The spokesperson declined to answer whether ICE would prevent similar incidents in future or provide examples of sponsors who endangered children.
