We are aware of the recent reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity at a local restaurant earlier today. Neither the city administration nor the Columbus Police Department received any advance notice about this operation, and we were not aware it was happening. Because federal agencies like ICE operate independently, they are not required to notify local municipalities or law enforcement within their jurisdictions.

At this moment, we still do not know if anyone was taken into custody or how long these operations might continue in our area. We want to reassure the community that, in line with our local policies, the Columbus Police Department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement sweeps and have not entered into any agreement with federal law-enforcement to participate in such action. We are committed to keeping everyone informed and safe, and we will share verified updates as soon as we have more information.