Immigration targeted by proposed Ohio bill

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Immigration policies have been a big campaign talking point this election season and Ohio has been in the spotlight on claims about Haitian immigrants. 

Now, one state lawmaker is proposing a new policy that has to do with immigration. 

“If you refuse to allow your employees or your agents or officers not to work with federal immigration officials in any effort of removing and deporting illegal immigrants, then you lose a portion of your local government funds,” Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) said. 

Williams is sponsoring House Bill 666 or the “Protecting Ohio Communities Act.” The bill would require state and local authorities to “cooperate with the federal government in the enforcement of immigration laws.” 

Watch: Immigration targeted by proposed Ohio bill

“We're seeing more and more cities look to try to put up a flashlight towards Mexico, encouraging people to come to their community and then refusing to work with federal immigration officials to help with deportation of immigrants that are here illegally,” Williams said. 

If the municipality doesn’t comply with the legislation, it stands to lose 10% of its local government funding. 

“All we're saying is you are going to use the resources available to you through your police power to work with the federal government to remove illegal immigrants from our community,” Williams said. “If you refuse to do so, it is going to take more money from the state towards our highway patrol to catch them when they're on the interstate, it's going to take more effort in other areas. So, we're going to take 10% of your local government funds and allocate towards the other departments so they can increase their enforcement efforts.” 

“A desperate MAGA playbook to make up an immigration problem that isn't actually happening, that he has no evidence for, that violates home rule and also strip cities of their ability to provide basic safety services for their citizens,” Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) said. “Other than that, it’s a great idea.” 

Williams said the bill has been in the works for 11 months now and is in reaction to Toledo and Lucas County receiving the status of “Certified Welcoming” for immigrants. 

According to the City of Toledo, the designation means it has “created policies and programs reflecting their values and commitment to immigrant inclusion.” 

“Which are closeted sanctuary cities without it because their voters won't like that idea,” Williams said. “It doesn't say legal immigrants. It says immigrants. That means, illegal and legal immigrants, you must provide equal access to.” 

Sanctuary cities and counties, on the other hand, are places that limit or refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Williams said these areas are allowing illegal immigrants to use taxpayer-funded resources. 

“This is actually sucking off, or siphoning off resources from average Ohioans,” he said. 

“What I look for in legislation is evidence,” Weinstein said. “Is this actually a problem or is this a political solution timed for campaign season, looking for a problem?” 

Williams said this is not about telling cities what they can or cannot do, but about the state putting its foot down. No city in Ohio fully protects an illegal immigrant from federal policies or deportation, but Franklin County, for example, will not detain people based solely on immigration status. 

“That is their right under home rule authority, but the state of Ohio is not going to subsidize those bad decisions,” Williams said. 

“They're willing to strip rights from cities, to strip the ability of cities to regulate themselves and basically come over top in a big government power grab,” Weinstein said. “It really puts our cities and the millions of Ohioans that live there in the crosshairs over, you know, a made-up political stunt.” 

Part of the legislation prohibits any rule that hinders a public official or employee from maintaining information about a person’s immigration status and sending or requesting information about someone for the purpose of determining someone’s immigration status. 

“We need to know exactly who is on these programs and how much money we are losing to illegal immigrants,” Williams said. “All this is, is data collection.” 

As far as funds, the number of illegal immigrants in the state, who are protected by their city, or funds that they are allegedly using, Williams said there is “no number that we know about the illegal immigrants because municipality are refusing to look at it.” 

“My concern about this is when the sponsor can't provide evidence or data to back it up, is that it ends up backfiring and targeting legal immigrants,” Weinstein said. 

Williams said the legislation is “not guided by any bigotry or hatred towards any community.” He said he is trying to solve “real problems” and this should not deter anyone from legally coming to the state. 

“Between this and this Springfield episode where we've got MAGAs who are desperate to divide and scapegoat and use people to whip up anger and hatred, yeah, it is worrying,” Weinstein said. “We want to help our cities and Ohio take in legal immigrants, but we need to resource folks to handle illegal immigrants, too.” 

“How would it? The legislation says communities that are refusing to work with immigration officials at the federal level for purposes of deportation will lose their funds,” he said. “Why would a legal immigrant be in fear of deportation if they're law abiding, and they have legal protected immigration status? There's no reason they would be fearful.” 

The bill was just introduced, and the legislature is on break until November, so it will not have its first hearing until then, at least. The bill does have an emergency clause attached so if it is passed and signed by the governor, it will go into effect immediately.