SYLVANIA — Voters in Sylvania will have the final say this November on whether the city should limit the use of its resources for federal immigration enforcement — a question most Ohio communities have left to their city councils.
Councilman Doug Haynam, a Republican who has served on council for 30 years and works as an attorney, wrote the proposed ordinance himself and gathered support to place it on the ballot after the council chair declined to put his initiative on the agenda for a vote.
The measure, Ordinance No. 37-2026, is titled the “Sylvania Resource Conservation And Equal Access Ordinance.” It would bar the city from using its funds, personnel, equipment and facilities to assist with federal civil immigration enforcement, and it would guarantee that access to city services, benefits and programs cannot be conditioned on a person’s immigration status.
Haynam has argued that local police should focus on community policing rather than doing the work of federal officers, and that helping with immigration enforcement drains limited local budgets and staff while eroding trust between residents and police.
The ordinance declares that trust between residents and local government — including the Sylvania Police Division — is essential to public safety, and that involving city employees in federal immigration enforcement discourages victims and witnesses from reporting crimes.
Supporters say the measure is about due process and equal treatment for all residents. The proposal comes as temporary protected status for Haitians has ended, a change that has rippled through Ohio communities. Voters will decide the ordinance’s fate in the November election.
