Quick Answer

Illinois just passed HB 1312, the strongest anti-ICE arrest law in the country: banning civil immigration arrests near courthouses, hospitals, colleges, and daycares — and creating the nation’s first state-level Bivens Act allowing immigrants to sue immigration officers for at least $10,000 per violation.

Many Ohio immigrants are now asking:

“Can Ohio pass the same protections?”
“Would this stop ICE from arresting people at Cleveland or Columbus courthouses?”
“What about hospitals, schools, or college campuses in Ohio?”

This guide explains:

• What Illinois’ law does

• What Santa Clara County’s “ICE-free zones” do

• What Ohio currently does

• Whether Ohio can legally reproduce these protections

• And what would change overnight for immigrant communities in Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Akron, and Cincinnati

  The focus on Ohio immigration protections 2025 has become increasingly relevant as communities seek safety and security from immigration enforcement.

Fast Facts About Ohio (2025)

• Ohio does not have a statewide sanctuary law.

• Most county sheriffs in Ohio voluntarily cooperate with ICE detainers.

• Cleveland and Columbus have local non-cooperation guidelines, but they do not ban ICE from courthouses or hospitals.

• ICE has a long history of courthouse arrests in Ohio, particularly in Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, and Lucas Counties.

• Ohio hospitals and universities have no statewide rules prohibiting civil immigration arrests on their property.

For context on the Illinois law, see:
Illinois HB 1312 – Bill Status & Full Text
AP News coverage of HB 1312
Reuters coverage of HB 1312

Introduction: Why Ohio Is Asking These Questions Right Now

Over the past week, Ohio residents have been asking:

• “Will I be arrested if I go to court in Cleveland?”

• “Is Columbus Children’s Hospital considered a protected zone?”

• “Can ICE still wait outside my workplace in Cincinnati?”

• “Can Ohio sue ICE officers like Illinois can now?”

These fears intensified after:

• Illinois passed HB 1312

• Santa Clara County created “ICE-free zones”

• Trump’s 2025 DHS revived courthouse, hospital, and job-site raids

• Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago signaled a new national enforcement pattern

Ohio immigrants — especially in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati — want to know whether Ohio can create the same protections.

This article provides Ohio families, journalists, and policymakers a roadmap.

Section 1 — What Illinois Passed (Model Protections)

Illinois HB 1312 is actually two laws fused together:

1. The Illinois Bivens Act

A new state law allowing people to sue individual officers who violate constitutional rights during civil immigration enforcement.

• Allows compensatory + punitive damages

• Minimum $10,000 statutory damages per unlawful arrest

• Bypasses federal immunity barriers

• Full law text available here:
  HB 1312 – Illinois General Assembly

2. Sensitive-Location Civil Arrest Ban

Civil immigration arrests are now banned in and around:

• State courthouses

• Hospitals and community health centers

• Licensed child-care centers and daycares

• Colleges and universities

Major coverage:
AP News
Reuters
Washington Post

Gov. Pritzker’s statement

He made the motivation clear:

“Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task.”

Section 2 — What Santa Clara County Passed (“ICE-Free Zones”)

Santa Clara County’s model is different from Illinois:

It does not ban ICE arrests.

Instead, it bans ICE from using county property (parking lots, garages, public buildings) as:

• staging areas

• surveillance zones

• operational bases

See reporting:
San José Spotlight
San Francisco Chronicle
AP News

Key difference from Illinois

Santa Clara limits where ICE can stand,
Illinois limits whether ICE can arrest.

Section 3 — What Ohio Currently Has (2025 Reality Check)

Ohio has:

A. No statewide immigrant-protection law

Ohio has not passed:

• an arrest-free zone law

• a state “Bivens Act”

• limits on ICE courthouse activity

• statewide sanctuary restrictions

B. High ICE cooperation rates

Most county sheriffs honor ICE detainers.
Franklin County briefly reduced cooperation in 2021–2023, but cooperation was restored.

C. No courthouse protections

Unlike Illinois, Ohio courthouses remain open hunting grounds for ICE unless:

• the county prosecutor directs otherwise, or

• local judges issue administrative orders

Most have not.

D. High-risk locations in Ohio

Based on community reports and prior patterns:

• Cleveland Justice Center (Cuyahoga County)

• Franklin County Municipal Court (Columbus)

• East Side Cleveland clinics

• Cincinnati Hamilton County Courthouse

• Toledo immigration court days

E. Major immigrant populations in Ohio

• Columbus Somali and Eritrean communities

• Cleveland Latino communities (Clark-Fulton, Old Brooklyn, West Park)

• Dayton immigrant refugee corridor

• Cincinnati H-1B and tech populations

• Undocumented agricultural labor in rural counties

Ohio has no location-specific arrest protections.

Section 4 — Could Ohio Legally Copy Illinois’ Law?

Short answer: Yes — absolutely.

Ohio has the legal authority to:

1. Ban civil immigration arrests on and around:

   • courthouses

   • hospitals

   • schools/daycares

   • colleges

2. Create a state-level cause of action (“Ohio Bivens Act”) for constitutional violations.

3. Restrict ICE access to public property (like Santa Clara County).

4. Regulate information-sharing between schools/hospitals and ICE.

Where Ohio faces obstacles

• The state legislature leans conservative.

• Some sheriffs are politically aligned with ICE.

• Ohio has no precedent for statewide sanctuary-style laws.

But nothing legally prevents Ohio from copying Illinois’ model.

Section 5 — What Would Change Overnight If Ohio Passed an Illinois-Style Law

If the Ohio General Assembly passed an HB 1312 copy, immigrants would immediately gain protection in:

Protected zones

• Cleveland Justice Center entrances

• Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati courthouses

• All major Ohio hospitals (Cleveland Clinic, OSU Wexner, UH, MetroHealth)

• Ohio State University, Cleveland State, University of Cincinnati

• Daycares, preschools, licensed child-care centers

Institutional restrictions

Schools, hospitals, and colleges could not:

• share immigration-status data

• coordinate with ICE for civil arrests

• permit ICE to make civil arrests inside their facilities

Right to sue

Immigrants could file lawsuits in Ohio courts seeking:

• $10,000+ damages

• attorney fees

• punitive damages

This would drastically alter ICE’s tactics in Ohio.

Section 6 — What an “ICE-Free Zone” Would Look Like in Ohio

If counties like Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, and Montgomery followed Santa Clara’s model, they could declare:

• County parking lots off-limits for ICE surveillance

• County buildings cannot be used as staging grounds

• County-owned hospitals and clinics protected

• Libraries, rec centers, and county offices included

ICE would be forced to shift to:

• private property

• home raids

• off-site surveillance

Ohio counties have this authority today, without state legislation.

Section 7 — Who Would Benefit Most in Ohio

• Columbus Somali and East African residents

• Cleveland Latino and Guatemalan families

• Cincinnati’s H-1B and STEM workers

• Dayton’s refugee populations

• Students at OSU, UC, CSU, Kent, Akron, Toledo, Wright State

• Undocumented workers in Ohio’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors

• Mixed-status families in every major metro area

Section 8 — 5 Loopholes ICE Would Still Use in Ohio

Even with Illinois-style protections:

1. Arrests across the street from protected buildings

2. Home raids after court hearings

3. Stalking job sites

4. Using license-plate databases to track movement

5. Arrests at USCIS interviews (because USCIS buildings are federal)

For deeper analysis, see:
Trump’s 2025 Deportation Surge: What Non-Criminal Immigrants Need to Know

Section 9 — Ohio-Specific FAQ

Q: Can ICE arrest me at the courthouse in Ohio?
Yes. Ohio has no statewide restrictions like Illinois.

Q: Are Ohio hospitals protected?
No. ICE can make civil arrests in hospital lobbies unless the hospital posts rules against it.

Q: Is school drop-off safe in Ohio?
No statewide protections exist. District policies vary.

Q: Can I sue ICE officers in Ohio for violating my rights?
Ohio has no equivalent of the Illinois Bivens Act.
You can only sue under federal law — which is harder.

Q: Will city rules in Cleveland or Columbus protect me?
They offer limited non-cooperation, but they do not stop ICE from arresting on courthouse or hospital grounds.

Q: Can Ohio pass an Illinois-style law?
Yes — but it would require a significant legislative shift.

Comprehensive Resource Directory — Ohio + National + HLG

1. Ohio Statewide Immigrant Support & Legal Aid

Ohio Legal Services & Immigrant Rights Partners

• Ohio Immigrant Alliance — Statewide advocacy, policy monitoring, deportation support, and community alerts.

• Ohio Justice & Policy Center — Criminal-immigration intersection, reentry, detention issues.

• Ohio Poverty Law Center — Policy guidance and assistance for low-income immigrant families.

• ACLU of Ohio — Litigation, civil rights, ICE detention concerns, public records access.

• Ohio State Bar Association Legal Aid Directory — Search system for regional legal aid offices.

Ohio Government & Public Information

• Ohio Attorney General – Know Your Rights (general civil rights guidance)

• Ohio Department of Education – Refugee/ELL Programs

• Ohio Department of Job and Family Services – Refugee Services

2. City & County-Level Ohio Resources

Cleveland (Cuyahoga County)

• Catholic Charities Migration & Refugee Services — Full immigration legal services, asylum, family petitions.

• US Together Cleveland — Refugee services, employment, case management.

• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland — Local representation, including immigration consequences of criminal cases.

• Cuyahoga County Immigration Task Force — County resources across healthcare and public services.

Columbus (Franklin County)

• Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) — Refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, youth programs.

• Columbus City Attorney Community Resources — Community safety & rights info.

• Legal Aid Society of Columbus — Immigration-adjacent legal services.

• Ohio State University Office of International Affairs — Support for F-1, J-1, scholars, and immigrant staff.

Cincinnati (Hamilton County)

• Su Casa Hispanic Center — Legal screenings, referrals, support services.

• Immigrant and Refugee Law Center — Direct representation for asylum, SIJS, VAWA, removal defense.

• Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati — Community legal support with immigrant-facing components.

Dayton (Montgomery County)

• US Together Dayton — Refugee legal assistance, casework, youth services.

• Dayton Immigrant Coalition — Advocacy, deportation defense networks.

• Miami Valley Fair Housing Center — Housing discrimination protections for immigrants.

Akron / Summit County

• Asian Services in Action (ASIA) — Immigration legal services, health clinics, citizenship help.

• International Institute of Akron — Naturalization assistance, refugee programs, interpretation.

Toledo (Lucas County)

• Ayers, Lydy & Martinez Toledo Immigrant Center — Immigration legal services.

• Welcome Toledo-Lucas County — Government-supported immigrant integration initiative.

3. Ohio Hospitals, Courts & Public Institutions With Immigrant-Relevant Policies

Major Ohio Hospitals (Immigrant/Interpreter Programs)

• Cleveland Clinic Language & Interpreter Services

• University Hospitals (UH) – Interpreter Services

• MetroHealth Cleveland – Multicultural Health

• Ohio State Wexner Medical Center – Interpreting Services

• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital – Language Services

Immigration Courts Serving Ohio

• Cleveland Immigration Court (EOIR)

  • EOIR Court Listing

Courthouse Policies

Most Ohio courthouses do not have written anti-ICE policies, but some local administrative rules exist:

• Franklin County Common Pleas Court — community access policies

  • Franklin County Courts

• Cuyahoga County Justice Center — visitor & rights information

  • Cuyahoga County Courts

4. National Model Resources (Essential for Journalists, Policymakers & Organizers)

Illinois HB 1312 — Full Law & National Coverage

• Illinois HB 1312 – Bill Text / Status

• AP News – Illinois protects immigrants from arrest near courthouses

• Reuters – Illinois enacts major immigrant protections

• Washington Post – “Illinois governor signs law limiting immigration enforcement”

California “ICE-Free Zone” Ordinances

• Santa Clara County Ordinance Code

• San José Spotlight – ICE-Free Zones Explained

• San Francisco Chronicle – Bay Area’s First ICE-Free Zone

• AP News – County restricting ICE use of public property

Federal Sources

• DHS Sensitive Locations Memos (archived/updated)

• ICE Enforcement & Removal Operations

• USCIS Field Office Locator

5. Herman Legal Group (an Ohio Leading Immigration Law Firm )

Core Enforcement & Defense Guides

• Trump’s 2025 Deportation Surge: What Non-Criminal Immigrants Need to Know

• ICE Arrests at USCIS Interviews

• Know Your Rights During an ICE Encounter

• Removal Defense: Strategy & Guide

Ohio-Focused Legal Support

• Cleveland Immigration Attorney

• Columbus Immigration Attorney

• Cincinnati Immigration Attorney

• Dayton Immigration Attorney

Consultations

• Book a Consultation

Call for Help

If you live in Ohio and want to understand what Illinois’ new law means for your Cincinnati court date, your Cleveland hospital visit, or your Columbus school drop-off, Herman Legal Group can help.

👉 Schedule a confidential consultation