Oppose House Bills 26, 200, 281, and 554 - Protect Local Authority and Civil Rights

I am writing to urge you to oppose the four-bill "Cooperation Package" consisting of House Bills 26, 200, 281, and 554. These measures represent a dangerous overreach that would strip local governments of their authority, criminalize constitutionally protected speech, and create serious public health and safety risks for all Ohio residents. House Bill 26 would eliminate local discretion in law enforcement priorities by mandating compliance with all ICE detainer requests and threatening municipalities with funding cuts for noncompliance. Local police departments should retain the authority to allocate their limited resources based on community needs, not federal mandates. When local law enforcement becomes entangled with immigration enforcement, immigrant communities stop reporting crimes and cooperating with investigations, making everyone less safe. House Bill 554 is particularly troubling as it criminalizes First Amendment protected activities by making it a felony to "physically impede or interfere" with immigration agents. This vague language could prosecute residents for standing in doorways, recording enforcement actions, or attempting to protect neighbors during arrests. Criminalizing these actions as obstruction of justice threatens free speech and the right to peacefully intervene when witnessing what one believes to be injustice in their community. House Bill 281 would force hospitals and mental health centers to grant immigration agents access to their facilities or face loss of state grants and Medicaid funding. The Ohio Hospital Association has warned this will deter undocumented residents from seeking emergency care, creating public health risks that affect everyone. When people avoid hospitals due to fear of arrest, communicable diseases spread and medical emergencies become fatalities. House Bill 200 would make unauthorized presence a state felony, usurping federal immigration authority and exposing Ohio to costly legal challenges while encouraging racial profiling by local police. I urge you to oppose these bills and instead support the Democratic Safeguard Package that would protect sensitive locations like schools and places of worship from immigration enforcement. Ohio communities deserve local control, constitutional protections, and public safety policies that build trust rather than fear.