ICE is not welcome in Columbus. Immigrants are.

by Lynn Tramonte
December 20, 2025
Keep immigrants safe

ICE has got to go. That is the message Columbus residents have been sending since a couple hundred agents descended on the city and began to hunt people on the streets. They immediately began mobilizing neighborhood watches and alert systems, keeping agents awake all night at their hotels, and setting up food delivery chains.

Many people are calling the Ohio Immigrant Hotline saying they want to do something. Here is a list of events you can attend and things you can do to help make Columbus a safer place for everyone. Because no one should be afraid to go to school, the store, or houses of worship. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. And ICE agents truly are not welcome in our communities.

Check the online version of this list for updates. And in case you missed our OIA Family Reunion in Columbus last month, check out the full video, just uploaded to YouTube, here!

Events you can attend

  • (in person) 12/20 @ 4pm - PSL Columbus Emergency Meeting at the Columbus Liberation Center, 1004 Parsons Ave (info)

  • (virtual) 12/20 @ 3-5pm - YUSRA Somali Solidarity Town Hall (register for Zoom)

  • (in person) 12/21 @ 4-6pm - End State Terror in Our Communities at Weinland Park Shelter House, 1280 Summit Street (info)

Things you can do

  • Donate money to Our Helpers, which is providing direct, on-the-ground support, including food for families. 

  • Learn about the Ohio Immigrant Hotline and share it on social media, using this toolkit. Donate to support the hotline’s operations at https://bit.ly/DonateOIA.

  • Use and share our OhioIsHome.org resource website. There are resources for immigrants, schools, businesses, service providers, and members of the community.

  • Purchase “ICE Out of Columbus,” “Ohio Is Home,” and “Migration Is Human” shirts and other merchandise at the OIA online store — including our NEW Columbus t-shirts (design 1, design 2) with a design by @lowbarluka.

  • If you are talking to the media, making public remarks, writing materials, or doing other communications about this, review these talking points and the Ohio Immigrant Alliance statement.  

  • Learn best practices (SALUTE method) and guidelines for filming federal agents (see more info below).

  • Share “Know Your Rights” and safety planning graphics from Rep. Munira Abdullahi and others in this folder. Download #ICEOutOfCbus graphics, too.

If you witness an immigration arrest

How to record ICE, Border Patrol, and police

Use the SALUTE method:

  • Size/Strength -- How many agents are present?

  • Actions/Activities --What did you see them doing?

  • Location and Direction -- Where are they and where are they headed

  • Uniform/Clothes -- What are they wearing? (Describe as much as possible. Uniform? Plain clothes? Identifying logos, etc.)

  • Time -- What time did the event occur

  • Equipment and Weapons -- What are you able to see?

How to report ICE, Border Patrol, and police abuse

The Ohio Immigrant Alliance is a group of US-born citizens and immigrants advocating for humane immigration laws, because immigrants are valued members of Ohio communities. Support our work and spread the message that Ohio Is Home for All. Watch our Family Reunion here.