By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• The Gratis Village Council voted to fire Police Chief Tonina Lamanna after she visited three Cincinnati schools, claiming to be acting on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• Lamanna traveled more than an hour from her jurisdiction with another officer to conduct alleged “wellness checks” for ICE at the schools.
• Cincinnati Public Schools officials said the officers were denied entry and did not interact with students.
• The department’s 287(g) agreement with ICE has been suspended following the incident.
GRATIS, OH — The Gratis Village Council voted 4-2 Thursday to fire Police Chief Tonina Lamanna after she visited three Cincinnati Public Schools in April while claiming to act on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, village officials confirmed.
Lamanna and another officer, Jeffrey Baylor, drove more than an hour from Gratis, a small village in southwest Ohio, to Western Hills University High School and two elementary schools on April 15 to conduct “wellness checks” for ICE, according to school district leaders.
Cincinnati Public Schools officials said the officers were not permitted entry, did not interact with students and did not present warrants or official documentation; the district informed authorities after the visits.
ICE officials stated the agency does not conduct enforcement actions at schools and that the local police department’s action was not an official ICE operation, prompting Gratis to indefinitely suspend its 287(g) agreement with ICE, which allows limited local participation in certain federal immigration efforts.
Baylor resigned following the incident, and the dismissal leaves the small department with a reduced number of officers as village leaders determine next steps.