SB 172: Ohio's ICE Empowerment Bill

Senator Kristina D Roegner babies the gestapo + two bonus Christo-fascist bills heading to Ohio Senate

Jun 19, 2025

SB 172 passed Wednesday night. The language in the heading states this:

To enact section 9.631 of the Revised Code to

specify that persons who are unlawfully present

in the United States are not privileged from

arrest.

A summary that already leaves a lot to desire, the who introduced the bill, Senator Kristina D Roegner stated that this bill was a response to rules issued by Judges in Franklin County stating that ICE agents may not arrest people in public offices like court houses without judicial warrants and that court personnel may not inquire about a person’s immigration status. What I find to be particularly fucked up, is that this bill makes it seem like it’s a special privilege to not get disappeared for looking too suspiciously Brown at a public building or anywhere. That’s just how arrests work, they need badges and warrants or that’s a kidnapping.

Kristina had a problem with resistance to kidnapping, as stated in SB 172:

(B)(1) Subject to protections afforded under the United

States Constitution and the Ohio Constitution, and

notwithstanding any contrary provision of the Revised Code, no

person who is, or is suspected of being, unlawfully present in

the United States is privileged from arrest, detention, or being

taken into or held in custody by a federal, state, or local law

enforcement agency anywhere in this state under any

circumstances, with or without a warrant, and regardless of

whether the proceedings are administrative, civil, or criminal

in nature, for removal or other immigration related purposes or

proceedings.

Meaning that anyone law enforcement suspects of being an “illegal” immigrant can be arrested and detained at anytime, anywhere without proof or warrant. Further down in the bill it is also said that anyone who attempts to prevent these unwarranted arrests, from unbadged, unidentified, masked agents- can also be arrested and charged.

Section 4 goes on to say that no public officials may prohibit any ICE or adjacent officer from inquiring and then receiving information on someone’s: immigration status, court dates, or release dates.

Section 5 says no one may obstruct anyone acting “in good faith” under these rules (kidnapping anyone who they deem to be an immigrant) or impose any civil or criminal liability against these agents. Meaning, if an ICE agent arrests you, or beats the shit out of you for no reason, in Ohio you can take no legal action against them in the after math.

Senator Kristina also has her fingers in many other fascist laws including

(but not limited to)

SB 34 The Historical Education Displays Act

The board of education of each school

district shall comply with this section not later than July 1,

2026.

(A)(1) Subject to division (D) of this section, the board

of education of each school district shall select to display in

each classroom in each school building it operates, at least one

of the following historical educational documents:

(a) The Mayflower Compact

(b) The Declaration of Independence;

(c) The Northwest Ordinance;

(d) In accordance with section 3313.801 of the Revised

Code, the mottoes of the United States and Ohio;

(e) The Ten Commandments;

(f) The Magna Carta;

(g) The Bill of Rights;

(h) The United States Constitution;

The language of this is pretty cut and dry, from the list above + my previous rants about the Northwest Compact, should be easy to tell I ain’t a fan.

Another bill supported by Senator Roegner is