## Ohio Sheriff Criticizes Agencies for Releasing Illegal Immigrant Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones fiercely condemned other law enforcement agencies for releasing an illegal immigrant named Johan Perez Ventura, who had a lengthy criminal record and was later involved in a serious car crash. The crash left a local nurse hospitalized and sparked outrage, with the sheriff emphasizing that Ventura was in the country illegally and had given deputies false identification during the arrest. Sheriff Jones stated Ventura appeared intoxicated during the incident and that he deserves deportation after serving his sentence, underscoring his stance on immigration enforcement. ## Sheriff's Office and ICE Collaboration Sheriff Jones’ office has reinstated a partnership with ICE to detain undocumented immigrants, a collaboration strained by controversy and community protests. Jones has expressed frustration at critics of 287(g) agreements, which allow local sheriffs to hold undocumented immigrants for federal immigration authorities. Despite accusations of racial profiling, Jones insists his office has safeguards in place to prevent discrimination. His approach reflects a broader trend of ramped-up deportations under the Trump administration, with local sheriff's offices playing key roles in immigration enforcement. ## Community and Legal Pushback The Ohio Immigrant Alliance and other organizations have criticized Sheriff Jones for his policies, accusing him of using immigration enforcement to justify harsher detention conditions and ignoring complaints of neglect and racism in county jails. The alliance highlights that immigrants, contrary to some narratives, commit crimes at lower rates than native-born residents. They also warn about financial and legal liabilities for counties contracting with ICE, emphasizing the harm to community trust necessary for effective law enforcement. ## Incident Details and Impact The crash involving Johan Perez Ventura, who was driving intoxicated and under the influence of alcohol, resulted in the hospitalization of a charge nurse who was on her way to work. The incident fuels ongoing tensions around immigration enforcement in Ohio, with families and law enforcement calling for stricter measures and deportation after sentences are served. Sheriff Jones reiterated that those in the country illegally who break the law shouldn’t be allowed to remain and that deportation is a necessary consequence. > "I know that he's going to be deported after he serves his sentence, and I think that's what he deserves. He deserves to go back to whatever country it is he came from. He shouldn't have been here to begin with if he wasn't going to be a law-abiding citizen." — Emma-le Rybolt, victim's relative *** The case exemplifies deep divisions in Ohio over immigration enforcement, highlighting conflicts between local sheriffs, immigrant rights groups, and community members on public safety and justice.

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Daily Mail — 2025-11-29