ICE-Linked Wellness Checks at Cincinnati Schools

In November 2025 DHS launched an ICE-partnered “wellness check” program for unaccompanied migrant children, citing 450,000 such children and alleging 145,000 were placed with unvetted sponsors. The effort has already prompted local actions, including a May 2025 ICE raid on a Price Hill Kroger lot and the deportation of 19-year-old soccer player Emerson Colindres, who attended a school later targeted.

The Guardian

On 15 April 2026 Gratis officers Tonina Lamanna and Jeff Baylor entered Roberts Academy elementary and Western Hills University High School, claiming ICE “wellness checks.” They showed a list of about 30 names, identified two enrolled students, displayed sidearms, but offered no warrant. School staff denied access and the officers left without completing checks.

The Guardian

Roberts Academy is roughly three-quarters Latino; Western Hills serves over 400 Hispanic-heritage students. The officers’ list named about 30 children. Gratis is 100 % white, has ~800 residents, and lacks DeFlock cameras within 10 miles, while a camera sits less than half a mile from Western Hills.

The Guardian

Mayor Aftab Pureval called the visits “disgusting on so many levels.” The Cincinnati school system said the officers lacked warrants. ICE said it does not target schools and that a local partner was only verifying enrollment. Gratis Mayor Kevin Johnson declined comment on prior knowledge. A village administrator set an investigative meeting for the week of 11 May.

The Guardian

Rights groups warn the program expands DHS reach into immigrant communities and allege police are sharing license-plate data with ICE. Community leaders note a surveillance gap: a DeFlock camera monitors the high school but none cover the officers’ home village. Critics question the legality of officers operating 50 miles beyond their jurisdiction.

The Guardian

ICE says it does not target schools, yet officers performed checks without warrants. The agency declined to outline future safeguards. DHS’s 450,000-child estimate conflicts with the Trump administration’s 145,000-child claim. No policy defines how far local officers may travel on ICE requests.

The Guardian

• “They told staff in the school’s main office they were conducting wellness checks and displayed a list of approximately 30 individuals’ names,” — Cincinnati public-schools staff

The Guardian

• “ICE does not target schools for enforcement actions,” — ICE spokesperson

The Guardian

• “The possibility of an immigration arrest, either inside or just outside your school, simply 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?” — Lynn Tramonte, Ohio Immigrant Alliance

The Guardian

• “People were too scared to come out.” — Proprietor, El Mini Valle Mexican Store

The Guardian

A city-wide investigative meeting is scheduled for the week of 11 May, and both officers remain on leave. Community groups plan further protests, while officials consider revising policies on police-ICE collaboration and the placement of surveillance cameras near schools.

The Guardian