Ohio

More than half of Ohio Immigrant Hotline reports came from Columbus area

Published

3 weeks ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

More than half of Ohio Immigrant Hotline reports came from Columbus area

A statewide hotline for immigrants in Ohio has seen nearly half its calls come from the Columbus area.
Calls to the Ohio Immigrant Hotline surged after increased ICE activity in Columbus in December 2025.
The hotline connects callers with legal aid, provides financial support, and helps resolve civil rights issues.
More than 500 incidents were reported to the hotline between January 2025 and February 2026.

Nearly half of the more than 500 incidents reported to the Ohio Immigrant Hotline in the past year were from Columbus-area callers.

The hotline, which is run by advocacy group Ohio Immigrant Alliance, serves loved ones of immigrants; immigrants (including those in detention) who need help; ordinary and concerned Ohioans; and professionals who are seeking guidance on how to deal with ICE enforcement actions against their staff, clients, customers and community.

The hotline launched in January 2025, when President Donald Trump took office for his second term, promising increased immigration enforcement. It catalogued 548 incidents between its start and February 2026, according to a report released March 25 titled “Connecting Ohio: The Ohio Immigrant Hotline’s First Year in Action.”

The goal is to provide immediate help and to use data to advocate for systemic change, according to the report.

Of the 548 incidents, 229 happened in an 11-county region of central Ohio. A 21-county region in northeast Ohio had the second-most at 123.

After a wave of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and activity in December in Columbus, dubbed “Operation Buckeye” by ICE, hotline calls surged and haven’t let up, said Lynn Tramonte, executive director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance.

Hotline staffers who speak English, Spanish, French and other languages handled 94 incidents in December.

Before that, the hotline’s busiest month was October, with 40 incidents.

Last year, the hotline averaged 39 incidents a month, the report said, but this year that has ballooned to 96 monthly. Most of the incidents were reported via email, with the most common reports discussing ICE and Border Patrol activity within the state.

Who called the Ohio Immigrant Hotline?

The Ohio Immigrant Alliance often gets requests for help from individuals, but the hotline allowed it to be able to report and track its work, according to the report.

Though some people thought the hotline was ICE’s tip line and reported immigrants’ presence and a few harassing or prank calls, the majority wanted to help immigrants, according to the report.

“It’s heartening,” the report reads, about those wishing to help. “The spirit of solidarity and community in Ohio is real.”

The hotline manager, who the Alliance did not name because of threats to their safety, has often engaged with people in distress, including those who cannot find a loved one they suspect may have been arrested and detained by ICE. There were 73 reports of arrests by ICE or Customs and Border Patrol agents.

The hotline gathers details about those individuals and connects callers with resources to help.

Other callers have included attorneys or friends of detainees calling because medication or other needs are being denied to someone in detention.

What has the hotline accomplished?

The hotline helped people find immigration attorneys; deposited thousands of dollars in immigration detention commissary and phone accounts for 50 people; helped families raise money for attorneys, filing fees, medical needs, and support after deportation; and connected callers to volunteer, donation, and advocacy opportunities.

The hotline also helped defend civil rights and the quality of life for detained immigrants. After reports from immigrants in detention detailed violations of Ramadan meal services, the Ohio Immigrant Hotline notified the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. The ACLU Ohio resolved the issue with leadership at the jail, which was not identified in the report.

The Ohio Immigrant Alliance is also part of a lawsuit due to one report that came in through the hotline.

People can report incidents about ICE arrests and raids to the Ohio Immigrant Hotline, at 419-777-HELP or 4357 or hotline@ohioimmigrant.org. Resources for immigrants and advocates can be found at OhioIsHome.org.

Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@dispatch.com or on X at @DanaeKing.

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Ohio

‘Little Rascals’ star Bug Hall arrested in Ohio

Published

9 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

‘Little Rascals’ star Bug Hall arrested in Ohio

Brandon “Bug” Hall was arrested in Ohio and charged with failure to appear for a court date from more than a year ago.

The “Little Rascals” actor, best known for playing Alfalfa Switzer in the 1994 cult classic, did not appear in court in December 2024, according to records obtained by TMZ.

Hall, 41, was previously given a traffic citation on Oct. 29, 2024, for not having liability insurance.

Page Six has reached out to Hall for comment but did not immediately hear back.

A few years ago, the “Stupids” star had another run-in with the law.

In 2020, he was arrested in Texas for huffing air duster cans.

At the time, a 911 caller claimed Hall may have overdosed after spotting him huffing by a hotel dumpster. When the police arrived, they discovered the “Get a Clue” actor in his hotel room surrounded by cans.

Upon an investigation, Hall was arrested for misdemeanor possession for use to inhale or ingest a volatile chemical.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Hall — who identifies as “a radical Catholic extremist” — moved his wife, Jill DeGroff, and their five children to a small area near Mountain Home, Arkansas, after giving up Hollywood to take “a vow of poverty.”

In accordance with his religious commitment, Hall told the Daily Mail in January that he donated all of his savings along with the majority of his material items to “maintain a life as free of any need for an income as possible.”

Page Six reported that the “Big Green” star and his family resided in a campervan with a water well and a generator.

Hall plans to go totally off-the-grid and build his family a house with its own hydro-electrical dam, as well as plumbing and electrical systems.

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Ohio

Ohio State’s Chance Gray selected in second round of WNBA draft

Published

21 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Ohio State’s Chance Gray selected in second round of WNBA draft

Ohio State guard Chance Gray became the 24th pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, with the Los Angeles Sparks selecting her in the second round on April 13.

Gray, a Cincinnati native, joined the Buckeyes from Oregon ahead of the 2024-25 season and averaged 13.4 points and shot 42.8% from the field during her two years at Ohio State.

In her final Big Ten Tournament, Gray’s offensive production improved to 18 points per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Gray earned all-tournament team honors despite Ohio State being eliminated in the semifinals by UCLA.

Gray is the 21st Buckeye to hear her name called across 30 editions of the WNBA draft. Ohio State has had a player selected in the past four years. There are three Ohio State graduates on WNBA rosters − Kelsey Mitchell, Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Thierry.

Cotie McMahon selected in first round of WNBA Draft

Former Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon was selected with the 11th pick in the first round by the Washington Mystics.

McMahon spent three seasons at Ohio State before transferring in the 2025 offseasonto Ole Miss, where she averaged a team-leading 16.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.

bmackay@dispatch.com

@brimackay15

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Ohio

Ohio State coach Ryan Day speaks ahead of spring game. Watch here

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Ohio State coach Ryan Day speaks ahead of spring game. Watch here

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day will discuss the team during Week 5 of spring practice when he speaks to the media at 11 a.m. April 13.

You can watch Day’s livestream here or via the Columbus Dispatch’s YouTube page.

Ohio State kicked off spring drills on March 10, the first of 15 spring practices leading up to the team’s spring game on April 18. The game will give fans and media a firsthand look at additions to the Buckeyes, along with returning starters.

Ohio State’s first game of the season is at home vs. Ball State Sept. 5.

Find out more about the 2026 spring game here.