An Ohio Municipal Court Just Tried to Tell ICE Where It Can and Can’t Arrest People, and That Won’t End Well

 The Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus, Ohio issued a rule last week declaring that federal immigration agents cannot make arrests at or near the courthouse unless they have a judicial warrant. This is not a power any local municipal court possesses. The DOJ sued to stop it Monday, and the lawsuit’s language is exactly as unambiguous as the legal situation warrants

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate put it plainly: “This type of rule obstructs federal law enforcement and facilitates evasion of federal law by dangerous criminal aliens, despite Congress’s direction that federal agents detain and remove them. Throughout the country, and including in this courthouse specifically, federal agents have routinely and safely conducted arrests. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting that important federal prerogative.” 

The DOJ’s own statement explained the practical reason why courthouses are actually among the safer places to conduct enforcement actions: enhanced security screening is already in place, reducing the risk of flight and the danger to both officers and the public that comes with attempting arrests in less controlled environments. Franklin County’s rule doesn’t just obstruct enforcement — it actively makes enforcement more dangerous by pushing ICE toward riskier operational environments.