While left-leaning cities and counties across the country rush to shield illegal immigrants from accountability, one Ohio sheriff is standing up for the rule of law and the safety of American citizens.
Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski is bucking the politically correct narrative by partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287(g) program. This agreement gives local deputies the authority to enforce immigration law alongside their regular duties — a move the sheriff describes as common sense.
“People expect — there is an expectation — that law enforcement is going to keep them safe, and we’re going to do it by whatever means we have available to us,” Zuchowski told Fox News Digital. “At the end of the day, it’s just doing the right thing.”
Zuchowski’s decision comes as Democrat-led areas increasingly refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, even in cases involving dangerous criminal aliens. But in Portage County, Ohio, the sheriff isn’t playing politics. He’s focused on keeping his community safe — and that means holding illegal immigrants accountable when they break the law.
Before the agreement, Zuchowski said his deputies were forced to wait hours or even days for ICE to respond to arrests. During the Biden administration, he recalled being told that unless an illegal alien had committed an extreme act of violence, ICE wouldn’t even show up.
“There’s nobody — and I don’t care what party you are — that wants anybody criminal, whether they’re here legally or not, roaming around in their county and their communities,” he said. “So that’s all we’ve done.”
Now, Portage County deputies are equipped to step in immediately when needed. It’s a stark contrast to the dangerous hands-off policies promoted by sanctuary cities, where violent offenders often slip through the cracks and endanger law-abiding citizens.
“We’re not just going to randomly pull people out because of the color of their skin or the language that they speak, solely on that. It’s going to be, obviously, [because] they’re committing some sort of a criminal act, something that would, out of my deputy’s normal duty, [they] would have to respond to and have to react to. And that’s all we’re going to do,” he explained.
“The left likes to run with this type of thing and make it the worst possible scenario to where it’s like we’re kicking in Mexican restaurants and we’re kicking in dorms at universities and we’re going to go door to door and start pulling people out of their houses. That’s not what we’re doing at all,” he went on. “By doing this, I’ve just given my deputies another tool for their toolbox in order for them to do their job more proficiently and help keep Portage County safer.”
Zuchowski emphasized that his department isn’t changing how it does police work — just adding tools to do the job more efficiently. He’s one of just three sheriffs in Ohio to sign the 287(g) agreement so far, but he hopes more law enforcement leaders will follow his lead.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” he said plainly.
In an era where enforcing the law is increasingly politicized, Sheriff Zuchowski’s approach is a reminder that public safety should never be a partisan issue.
