Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Treasurer Backs Sanctuary City Ban; Mayors Fire Back

Cincinnati and Columbus are the latest to adopt policies that stray away from enforcing immigration laws, essentially making them so-called sanctuary cities for immigrants and refugees. But one state official wants to stop those cities in their tracks. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow explains.

Republican Treasurer Josh Mandel is throwing his support behind a proposed bill in the House that bans local governments from declaring themselves “sanctuary cities.” Mandel says this can prevent acts of terror.

 

"It’s been the exact pattern in cities throughout Europe and what we’re trying to do here is keep cities in Ohio and cities in America safe from radical Islamists.”

 

Mandel, who’s running for U.S. Senate, listed examples of violent crimes perpetrated by undocumented immigrants.

 

But none were acts of terror and citizenship status wasn’t listed as a motivation for any of the crimes. There's no word on whether the bill is a priority for Republican House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger. 

 

The mayors of Cincinnati and Columbus are striking back at Mandel's assertions.  In a written statement Democratic Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley callsMandel’s argument a straw man for his political ambitions and said he’s demonizing refugees in the process.  Through a spokesperson, Democratic Columbus Mayor Andy Ginther asserted his executive order issued last week that police will not detain people solely based on the immigration status *is* in keeping with federal law.  And added "Regardless of one's views on immigration, it is reprehensible to use Ohio criminal law in an attempt to shut down differing opinions on this issue." The spokesperson also says "unlike Treasurer Josh Mandel, Mayor Ginther will not use fear as a reason for discrimination and will not pick and choose who he protects based on religion or national origin."

A native of Chicago, naturalized citizen of Cincinnati and resident of Columbus, Alison attended Earlham College and the Ohio State University. She has equal passion for Midwest history, hockey and Slavic poetry.
The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded througheTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream. The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. We strive to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio. The three award-winning journalists at the bureau have more than 60 combined years of radio and television experience. They can be heard on National Public Radio and are regular contributors to Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace. Every weekday, the Statehouse News Bureau produces in-depth news reports forOhio's public radio stations. Those stories are also available on this website, either on the front page or in our archives. Weekly, the Statehouse News Bureau produces a television show from our studios in the Statehouse. The State of Ohio is an unique blend of news, interviews, talk and analysis, and is broadcast on Ohio's public television stations. The Statehouse News Bureau also produces special programming throughout the year, including the Governor's annual State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly and a five-part year-end review.
Related Content