Franklin County Court proposes banning ICE arrests as the White House allegedly tells Republicans to stop bringing up mass deportations
Franklin County Municipal Court’s judges proposed a rule on Wednesday that would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from arresting anyone unless they have a judicial warrant, while the White House officials are telling Republicans all around the country to stop talking about mass deportations.
The proposed rule would ban civil arrests of people who are in the courthouse, right outside of it, intending to attend a court proceeding, or those who conduct “other lawful court business.” According to The Columbus Dispatch, instead of judicial warrants, which are signed by judges, ICE usually arrests people on civil warrants, which are signed by officials at the Department of Homeland Security.
However, the judges said that ICE could still arrest people inside the courthouse as long as they have a judicial warrant. This is a more conservative alternative to what the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas proposed back in February 2025, which would have banned even judicial arrests within courtrooms unless ICE officers had written approval from a Franklin County court judge.
Additionally, last year’s rules prohibited court personnel from assisting ICE officials, including by asking about people’s immigration status or providing them with personal information.
The Dispatch reported that Franklin County Municipal Court Administrative Judge Jessica D’Varga said judges voted on March 5 to adopt rules addressing ICE enforcement in the courthouse.
D’Varga’s announcement came two days after Franklin County Clerk of Common Pleas Judge Chris Brown criticized the municipal court for not taking any action regarding ICE activity on Facebook, writing that the victim in a stabbing case would not appear in the courthouse because he is afraid of being apprehended by ICE due to his being illegally in the country.
“It doesn’t need to be this way. Whatever you feel about these policies, the practical effect is to bar the courthouse from victims, witnesses, and other litigants,” he wrote. “I urge my brothers and sisters in Municipal Court to adopt rules guaranteeing access to our courts.”
One day after Brown published the post, state Sen. Bill Demore, D-Columbus, also criticized the court’s inaction in an op-ed for The Dispatch.
The rule proposed on Wednesday came after White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair allegedly privately urged Republicans in Congress on Tuesday at House Republicans’ annual retreat in Doral, Florida, to stop talking about mass deportations and instead focus on talking about deporting violent criminals from the country, according to Axios.
“The advice signals a recalibration by the White House — and reflects growing concern among some Republicans that Democrats are successfully framing Trump’s immigration policy as overly sweeping and indiscriminate,” the news source reported.
