Columbus mayor responds to Stephen Miller, Elon Musk criticism
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther responded to criticism from the Trump administration’s political advisor, Stephen Miller, and billionaire Elon Musk regarding the city’s efforts to protect illegal aliens from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
On Monday, Ginther’s office released a statement saying that while the pro-immigration camp “choose name-calling, we are choosing to stay focused on the residents of Columbus,” according to WOSU.
“Mayor Ginther remains committed to keeping Columbus safe for everyone who lives and works here,” Ginther’s office said in the statement. “Columbus will continue to be a city that follows laws and leads with humanity. Those principles are not in conflict; rather, they are the foundation of good governance.”
Why is the mayor of Columbus, Ohio advocating for mass Somali migration? https://t.co/S5uAxSY893
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) December 20, 2025
The statement was released after Miller, Musk, Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and state Reps. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, and Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Twp., criticized Ginther for saying the city government will not help ICE in its Operation Buckeye mission.
“When the wicked expose themselves, believe them,” state Rep. Beth Lear, R-Galena, said on X. “These people don’t care about the citizens of Columbus or the oaths they swore. They’d rather burn the city down – with your tax dollars – and rule over the ashes, than follow the rule of law and protect Ohioans.”
When the wicked expose themselves, believe them. These people don’t care about the citizens of Columbus or the oaths they swore. They’d rather burn the city down – with your tax dollars – and rule over the ashes, than follow the rule of law and protect Ohioans. Virtue signaling🤮 https://t.co/KgUe4U2s6Y
— Lear for Liberty 🇺🇸 (@Lear4Liberty) December 19, 2025
Among other Ohio officials who said they would not cooperate with ICE were Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant, officials from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol representatives, and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.
Some Ohioans also protested ICE outside a Columbus hotel where the agents were staying.
In his exclusive interview with Ohio.News, Williams said that he and other conservative lawmakers want to make two bills the law. Among them was House Bill 26, the Protecting Ohio Communities Act, which would defund sanctuary cities.
“Columbus has become such a stain on the image of Ohio that the federal government had to send ICE here. We predicted it. We knew that this was going to happen. That’s why we introduced the bill,” he said.
A second measure, House Bill 200, the America First Act, would make it illegal for anyone in the country illegally to enter or remain in Ohio, except for individuals who received the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program between 2012 and 2021.
“Ohio needs to take action immediately to advance HB 200 and HB 26 to Make America First in Ohio, the heart of it all,” state Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, told Ohio.News.
