Migrant Workers Hired to Build Jail Turned In to ICE, Sheriff Says

Two men have been accused of being in the United States illegally while working a construction project at an Ohio jail facility, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said on Friday.

Newsweek reached out to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Since being inaugurated in January, President Donald Trump has made immigration a key pillar of his agenda. Trump campaigned on tough border policies, highlighting phrases like “Build the Wall,” a nod to building a physical barrier along the United States’ southern border with Mexico.

The Trump administration recently invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime law granting the commander-in-chief access to detain and deport foreign nationals. The implementation was previously blocked in federal court, sparking a contentious legal back-and-forth between the Trump administration and federal Judge James Boasberg.

The administration has also reportedly carried out raids by ICE across the U.S. amid their promise of mass deportations.

File photo of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Washington, D.C.

EVA HAMBACH/AFP via Getty Images

What To Know

Jones, a Republican, posted a statement about the incident on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.

“The construction company had contracted out some of the work, and the sub-contractor provided identifying information on the individuals that were working inside the facility,” the statement read. However, on Wednesday, some of the paperwork “appeared fraudulent.”

“Due to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office recent partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an ICE agent was present at the main jail,” the statement said.

As the documents were reviewed, it was later determined that two workers were not in the country legally. ICE later conducted interviews with the workers, who then “admitted they were in the United States illegally,” the statement said.

In a video posted to X on Friday, Jones spoke about worksite enforcement regarding immigration.

“With all the hype and everything that’s going on in our country with President Trump being elected…immigration has took the forefront of a lot of things that’s going on in our country and all over the world, really,” he said.

Jones said the workers’ identification was “some of the best” he’d seen, noting their driver’s licenses, passports, and social security cards. Jones added that the workers were a “father son duo.”

What People Are Saying

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, Friday on X: “You just can’t make this stuff up. I’ve been very verbal with my stance on illegal immigration, and two illegal aliens come to the Butler County Jail to work. I do believe I’ve now seen it all.”