Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is strengthening its presence in central Ohio with a new legal office in Westerville, signaling broader efforts to handle deportation proceedings amid increased statewide operations.
The Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) — ICE’s primary legal arm responsible for representing the agency and the Department of Homeland Security in immigration court — has leased space at 774 Park Meadow Road. The five-year lease, which began October 30, 2025, costs approximately $257,758 annually and runs through October 2029. The site sits near an existing ICE field office on the same street, enhancing coordination for removal hearings and enforcement actions.
This development comes as federal immigration enforcement has intensified under the current administration, including targeted operations across Ohio.
Estimates of Unauthorized Immigrants in Ohio
Exact figures for individuals living in the United States illegally are estimates, as no comprehensive federal registry exists. The Pew Research Center placed Ohio’s unauthorized immigrant population at approximately 190,000 in 2023, noting growth in the state as part of a national rise to a record 14 million. Other analyses, such as those from the Migration Policy Institute using pooled Census data weighted to 2023, have estimated around 90,000. Both sources confirm Ohio has seen increases in recent years, though estimates vary by methodology.
Recent Enforcement Actions and Criminal Cases
Federal authorities have prioritized individuals with criminal convictions. In December 2025, ICE’s Operation Buckeye resulted in more than 280 arrests of people in the country illegally across Ohio. Among those detained were individuals convicted of serious offenses, including:
• Emanuel Guijosa-Nonato, convicted of aggravated assault against a police officer, disorderly conduct, DUI, and illegal re-entry.
• Andres Blanco Hernandez, arrested for assault and domestic violence.
• Others faced charges involving drug possession, robbery, and firearm violations.
Additional examples from Ohio include Surinder Singh, convicted of attempted abduction and later charged with a sex offense and strongarm rape.
In southern Ohio, federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio (which includes Ross County and adjacent areas) secured an indictment against Victor Juarez, a 26-year-old Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally. Juarez faces 13 federal counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Authorities allege he created videos documenting the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl on at least 13 occasions in October and November 2024 in Hamilton County. The case, investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati Division and local police in Cincinnati, Sharonville, and Springdale, overrides prior state rape charges in Hamilton County. Sexual exploitation of children carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
Nearby in Butler County (southwest Ohio), local authorities have also pursued cases involving undocumented individuals charged with serious sexual offenses, including a 2025 indictment of a Mexican national on multiple counts of sexual assault involving juveniles and a separate incident involving alleged peeping on a minor.
These actions reflect a statewide focus, with operations such as Buckeye spanning from Columbus to other regions. Columbus police policy requires notification to ICE upon arrest of individuals believed to be in the country illegally, facilitating coordination.
Implications for Southern Ohio
Ross County and neighboring counties (Pickaway, Fayette, Highland, Pike, Jackson, Vinton, and others) fall within the Southern District of Ohio, where federal immigration cases are handled. While high-profile local arrests in Ross County itself have not been prominently reported in recent enforcement waves, the statewide expansion of ICE resources and operations means southern Ohio communities remain part of broader federal efforts. County sheriffs and law enforcement in the region routinely coordinate with federal authorities on immigration detainers when individuals with criminal records are in custody.
The new Westerville office supports legal proceedings that could affect cases originating anywhere in the state, including southern Ohio.
