One municipal court has taken upon itself the authority to determine where federal law enforcement officers are allowed to operate.
And the U.S. Department of Justice has responded with a pointed comment about the “will of Congress.’
It is officials in the Franklin County, Ohio, Municipal Court, according to a column at RedState, that determined they would be “lawmakers.’
The result was a decision that federal law enforcement would be barred from making immigrant arrests “at or near” the courthouse unless there was a judicial warrant.
“I’m not a lawyer, but that sure sounds like overreach to me — and the U.S. Department of Justice agrees,” RedState confirmed.
So now the DOJ is suing the court with the charge that local officials there are interfering with federal law enforcement officers.
As is true in all types of law enforcement, conducting an arrest at or near a courthouse often reduces the risk of flight and potential safety risks to the public, law enforcement officers, and subjects themselves due to the enhanced security screenings in place at courthouses.… pic.twitter.com/9efBs2UgeE
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) August 25, 2026
🔴 The Trump administration has filed to overturn a Franklin County rule that prevents ICE agents from arresting undocumented immigrants near courthouses.
• This county has a significant Somali population.
• The rule was enacted by the Franklin County Municipal Court.…— Open Source Intelligence (@osint42news) August 25, 2026
The DOJ said it’s actions like these that continue to put agents at risk.
Reports confirmed that the county has the second-largest Somali population in the U.S., second only to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where there are allegations of billions of dollars in social services fraud.
RedState said, “As is true in all types of law enforcement, conducting an arrest at or near a courthouse often reduces the risk of flight and potential safety risks to the public, law enforcement officers, and subjects themselves due to the enhanced security screenings in place at courthouses. Franklin County Municipal Court’s rule runs counter to common sense and endangers the broader community by attempting to eliminate safe places for law enforcement officers to act.”
“Today the Department sued yet another local entity that seeks to thwart the will of Congress by regulating when and where Federal law enforcement does its job, all in the name of protecting criminal aliens who violate our Nation’s laws,” explained a statement from the government.
The DOJ warned against local efforts like this “to shield illegal aliens.”
“This type of rule obstructs federal law enforcement and facilitates evasion of federal law by dangerous criminal aliens, despite Congress’s direction that federal agents detain and remove them,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Throughout the country, and including in this courthouse specifically, federal agents have routinely and safely conducted arrests. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting that important federal prerogative.”
