County Fight
Litigation
Geauga County OH — ACLU sues to force release of secret ICE contract
Geauga, OH
Current status: ACLU lawsuit pending at Ohio Supreme Court to compel disclosure of ICE contract terms
The Fight
Geauga County has refused to release its contract with ICE to house immigration detainees, claiming that only ICE can authorize release of the agreement. The ACLU of Ohio filed suit in May 2025 asking the Ohio Supreme Court to issue a writ mandating disclosure, arguing the contract between two public entities is a public document. As of June 2025, the county was continuing its fight to keep the contract secret.
Key Details
- May 2025: ACLU of Ohio sued Geauga County after public records request was denied
- County position: Only ICE can release the contract (federal law restriction claim)
- ACLU position: Contract between two public entities is a public record under Ohio law
- Forum: Ohio Supreme Court (writ of mandamus requested)
- Context: Geauga is one of two original Ohio ICE detention sites (with Seneca); while Seneca has released six years of invoices, Geauga refuses even basic contract terms
- Significance: Test case for transparency of ICE detention agreements nationally — if counties can hide contract terms, communities cannot assess costs, conditions, or accountability
Sources
This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.