An Ohio man detained because of his immigration status has led village officials to question their policies and practices in making arrests.
The Aug. 26 arrest and potential deportation of Miguel A. Espinosa, 41, of Yellow Springs, has come as a shock to village residents who know him well as a longtime villager and family man who operates the food truck Miguel’s Taco’s.
Espinosa was arrested by Yellow Springs police for driving under suspension and not having a valid driver’s license.
Police transported Espinosa to the Greene County Jail, and from there he was transported to the Butler County Jail, where he is being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The village released a statement Monday afternoon about its current “police protocol” of arresting and transporting repeat offenders to jail “as an effort to change their behavior.”
The village statement reads, “We are saddened by the unintended consequences of our protocol on Mr. Espinosa.”
“We, as a municipal government and police department, must face the reality of the catastrophic damage that our actions can have, particularly on our vulnerable populations,” the statement reads.
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