County Fight
Contested
Mahoning County OH — Community opposition to ICE jail and deportation hub
Mahoning, OH
Current status: Protests organized but ICE operations expanding; county now houses ~500 ICE detainees across two facilities
The Fight
Youngstown has become a major ICE detention and deportation hub, with two facilities holding approximately 500 ICE detainees and the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport serving as the 7th busiest deportation flight hub in the country. Community groups including the League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown have organized opposition, with approximately 100 protesters demonstrating in April 2025.
Key Details
- April 2025: ~100 protesters at Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office opposing ICE contract
- LWVGY statement: Formal opposition to local ICE detention
- Community concerns: Due process violations, family separation, airport deportation flights visible to community
- Airport activity: 202 ICE flights through Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, Feb-Jul 2025 (7th nationally)
- State Rep. Rader: Condemned ICE raids in Northeast Ohio as “shameful attack on our community”
- Outcome: Despite opposition, operations have expanded; both facilities operational and combined capacity growing
Sources
This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.