The pair have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Village of Gratis.
and an officer drove more than an hour to do “wellness checks” on students at three different schools. Gratis Police Chief Tonina Lamanna at Western Hills University High School on April 15.The Memorandum of Agreement between ICE and Gratis PD allows trained officer to act on limited authority within their jurisdiction.
Chief Lamanna going more than an hour outside of her jurisdiction has sparked controversy, leading to her being placed on administrative leave along with Officer Jeffrey Baylor.“She never should have done it,” the Butler County sheriff said. “She never should have gone out of her jurisdiction and surely shouldn’t have gone to Hamilton County or the city.”The Village of Gratis says they were not made aware of Chief Lamanna’s actions prior to the operation and only became aware of the situation when contacted by other law enforcement agencies, according to a release. Gratis Police Chief Tonina Lammana visited 3 Cincinnati Public Schools on April 15, claiming to be with ICE, according to CPS.In a statement after an executive session, the administration says, “The Village of Gratis does not condone these actions. It is not the practice or policy of the Village to participate in law enforcement operations outside of our jurisdiction, particularly those occurring two counties away.” In a vote Sunday, the Village voted to place Chief Lamanna and Officer Baylor on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.“ICE does not target schools for enforcement actions. Yesterday, a local law enforcement partner attempted to verify school enrollment and conduct welfare checks on children who arrived unaccompanied across the border. To be crystal clear this was not an ICE officer or an enforcement action. ICE Homeland Security Investigations is dedicated to locating the 450,000 unaccompanied children that came in through the border under the Biden administration. Sadly, during those four years, many of these children who came across the border unaccompanied were placed with unvetted sponsors who were actually smugglers and sex traffickers. The Trump administration has located more than 145,000 of these children. In November 2025, DHS announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched an initiative with our state and local law enforcement 287 partners aimed at protecting the 450,000 unaccompanied children illegally smuggled over the border and placed with unvetted sponsors under the Biden administration. This new law enforcement partnership, known as the UAC Safety Verification Initiative, represents ICE’s commitment to protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse and exploitation through collaboration with 287 law enforcement partners. The primary focus of this initiative is to conduct welfare checks on these children to ensure that they are safe and not being exploited.Lamanna has talked with CPS General Council Daniel Hoying since what unfolded Wednesday. Hoying said the Gratis police chief told him she would not be doing checks at Cincinnati schools anymore.See a spelling or grammatical error in our story?
Fox19 19 Fox News Channel Cincinnati Cincinnati Public Schools ICE Officers Immigration Authorities School Safety Ice In Cincinnati Ice At Cincinnati Schools Ice Immigration And Customs Enforcement Ice At Cps Is Ice In Cincinnati Gratis Ohio Gratis Police Chief ICE Immigration Enforcement CPS Wellness Checks Tonina Lamanna ICE Authority Butler County Sheriff Jones Richard Jones
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Boston mayor denies funding LGBTQ migrant ‘wellness’ perks after program touts up to $500 benefitsFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
Passenger rail service linking Cincinnati to Ohio's other major cities gains momentumAll Aboard Ohio, one of the project’s biggest advocates, says the effort is still years away but is reaching an important milestone.
Read more »
Boston mayor distances herself from 'wellness perks' program for LGBTQ migrantToday's Video Headlines: 04/17/26
Read more »
Reds To 10 Prospect Placed on Injured ListCincinnati Reds To 10 Prospect Chase Petty Placed on Injured List
Read more »
Police arrest suspect in Long Beach for allegedly stabbing police officerA 44-year-old man is in police custody after he assaulted a police officer in downtown Long Beach, according to law enforcement.
Read more »
8 children killed in Louisiana mass shooting, and suspect is also dead, police sayThe alleged gunman was killed after a police chase, according to police.
Read more »