Cincinnati, Ohio, has become a target for the Trump administration’s harsh immigration enforcement policies. The city’s Price Hill neighborhood, a bastion of Latino life, recently witnessed unauthorized visits by police officers acting on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct so-called “wellness checks” at three local schools.
Police Attempts Denied at Schools
On April 15, Tonina Lamanna, a 17-year veteran officer from Gratis, Ohio, and a colleague traveled 50 miles to Cincinnati to question school administrators about children attending Roberts Academy, Western Hills University High School, and another nearby school. The officers, displaying visible sidearms and failing to produce warrants, were denied access at all three locations after school staff refused to cooperate.
According to a statement from Cincinnati public schools, the officers presented a list of approximately 30 names at Western Hills, where over 400 students have Hispanic heritage. Staff confirmed the enrollment of two students but did not allow further access. Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval called the incidents “disgusting on so many levels.”
Broader Immigration Enforcement Context
Rights groups argue that these efforts reflect the Trump administration’s intensified targeting of vulnerable communities. In November, DHS launched an initiative involving ICE and local law enforcement to address unaccompanied children who entered the U.S. under the Biden administration. While DHS claims to have located over 145,000 children placed with unvetted sponsors, concerns have risen over the department’s use of a Virginia security contractor for deportations.
One of the officers involved, Lamanna, was previously fired from another police department in 2017 for alleged dishonesty and filing false documents. Both Lamanna and her colleague Jeff Baylor were placed on leave after the incident. Gratis Mayor Kevin Johnson declined to comment on whether he knew of the officers’ actions, while a village meeting to discuss the investigation was scheduled for mid-May.
Community Impact and Fear
Cincinnati, a former industrial hub revitalized by immigration, has become a focus of Trump-era enforcement. Last year, DHS labeled it a “sanctuary city” before removing the designation in August 2025. In May 2024, ICE agents arrested four immigrants in a Kroger parking lot in Price Hill, including a father with his family. The proprietor of El Mini Valle Mexican Store, who asked not to be named, reported that customers stayed away for a week after the arrests. “People were too scared to come out,” he said.
The deportation of 19-year-old soccer star Emerson Colindres, who had no criminal record, further shocked the community. Colindres attended a school on the same grounds as one targeted by the officers. Lynn Tramonte of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance noted, “The possibility of an immigration arrest adds another layer of stress. How can you learn if you’re worried about being arrested or your parent being arrested?”
Surveillance and Local Tensions
Concerns have risen about police sharing license plate reader data with ICE. According to DeFlock, a crowdsourced surveillance camera tracker, a Flock camera is located less than half a mile from Western Hills High School. In contrast, Gratis—a village of about 800 people, 100% white according to the Census Bureau—has no Flock cameras within 10 miles.
At a public meeting following the school incidents, Gratis residents protested the leave of officers Lamanna and Baylor, fearing it would affect local safety. Baylor initially resigned but later rescinded his resignation due to community pressure.
