BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — A petition signed by over 1,600 people as of 4 p.m. on Thursday wants a sign recently re-posted by the Butler County Sheriff's Office taken back down.
In 2004, a sign stating “Illegal Aliens Here” with a giant arrow pointing toward the Butler County Jail went up. It's back up now, causing both pushback and support.
The Change.org petition calls the sign "offensive" and demands its removal.
"Our community is one built on love, understanding and respect for the dignity of all persons," reads the petition. "We take pride in the inclusive nature of our community, one that does not discriminate but embraces all its citizens. However, a symbol of discord, division and prejudice persists in our community — the disparaging 'illegal aliens here' sign displayed at the Butler County jail."
The petition was started by Sam Hibbard on January 31.
It goes on to say that labeling people as "aliens" strips them of individuality and humanity and that signs like the one outside the jail belittle the contributions that immigrants make to the community.
"Furthermore, it sets a precedent for this kind of harmful and degrading language, leading to less respect and more divisive treatment," reads the petition.
Days later, on February 4, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones spoke to WCPO about his stance on immigration and those in the country illegally.
You can watch the interview here:
“If you fear your life is in danger you can get vetted and you can go through all those systems," he told WCPO. "You can’t just sneak across the border and run into the country and go to work and think everything is going to be OK — it’s not. People have had all they can take.”
Jones wouldn’t give an exact number when it comes to the cost of detaining illegal migrants for the federal government but said he expects it to be in the millions of dollars.
He's working now to regain 287(g) status through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This program authorizes ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.
"The feds pay for the cost, whatever that is," Jones said. "They get charged so much per day; about what it is when we charge other outside agencies in the state of Ohio that house prisoners here."
The costs don't include busing and other expenses when detaining illegal migrants. But the sheriff believes the cost right now to house a prisoner here is about $80 $100 per day.
Even more recently, Jones has responded to the petition online. He posted a link to the petition on his social media accounts on Feb. 5.
"I'm a fair man that loves a good cause!" reads the post. "By all means sign the petition! I'm all for supporting our community. Let's give my opposers a voice."
I'm a fair man that loves a good cause! By all means sign the petition! I'm all for supporting our community.Let's give my opposers a voice
Petition · Remove the "Illegal Aliens Here" Sign from Butler County Jail - United States · https://t.co/Bo9MWWZ9ds https://t.co/DeWsx8Ys8q
— Richard K. Jones (@butlersheriff) February 5, 2025
Right now, there’s no timeline on when the Butler County Jail will officially be deputized again by DHS. But Jones said he's met with President Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, and expects that to come soon.
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