Controversial ICE “Operation Buckeye” Sweeps Ohio, Sparking Questions About Targets
A massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation across Ohio has resulted in the detention of hundreds of individuals — but conflicting reports and emerging evidence are raising serious questions about who exactly was swept up in the raids.
During the week-long “Operation Buckeye” conducted from December 16-23, 2025, federal agents detained more than 280 people who Department of Homeland Security officials described as “criminal illegal aliens.” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin celebrated the operation, claiming those arrested were “convicted of assaulting a police officer, criminal firearm possession, and drug trafficking.”
“Thanks to our law enforcement, Ohio neighborhoods are safer with these criminals behind bars where they belong,” McLaughlin stated.
Independent Analysis Tells Different Story
But a starkly different picture has emerged from independent analyses. The Ohio Immigrant Alliance conducted its own investigation, documenting at least 214 people detained during the operation. According to their findings, 80% appear to be Latino, with Africans comprising less than 10% of those arrested. The group also noted that 93% of detainees were men.
Most troubling? Among those detained were legally-authorized immigrants, people with legal work permits, individuals with pending immigration cases, and at least two U.S. citizens, according to the advocacy organization’s findings.
Demba Ndiath, Advocacy Director for the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, didn’t mince words about the racial composition of those arrested. “80% of those arrests are Latino based on the internal report that we ran, which is appalling, which is considered as forced bias, we can say even racist targeting,” Ndiath told WOSU.
Criminal Records in Question
Where are these supposed criminal records? That’s what local media began asking after initial claims from federal officials.
An investigation by ABC 6 revealed no available records in Franklin County regarding criminal histories for the majority of detainees ICE had featured in their operation. This discrepancy raises significant questions about the accuracy of the criminal charges federal officials cited when justifying the sweeps.
Butler County appears to be housing the largest number of those detained, with the Ohio Immigrant Alliance reporting that 137 people were being held at the county jail in connection with the operation, based on data compiled from area jail rosters.
Community Response
The operation has sparked outrage in some communities. Students at Dublin Scioto High School staged a walkout to protest the arrests, according to local reports. The demonstration suggests the impact of the operation has rippled through school communities where families may have been affected.
As detention facilities fill with those swept up in Operation Buckeye, families and advocates continue pressing for transparency. The stark contrast between ICE’s characterization of the operation and the findings from independent reviews has only intensified calls for accountability.
For now, hundreds remain detained as questions linger about who exactly was targeted — and why — in what was supposed to be an operation focused on the “worst of the worst.”
