Central Ohio Advocates Alarmed by 2025 Immigration Changes

(FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO) Central Ohio advocates are warning that sweeping immigration changes in 2025 are pushing many immigrant families in Franklin County to the brink, as federal SNAP (Food Stamps) Cuts, sharp fee hikes, and stepped-up enforcement combine into what one local leader called “a perfect storm of fear and hunger.” Legal immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers who had built their lives in the region now face hard choices about food, work, safety, and even whether to go to court.

SNAP benefits cut: immediate impact on food security

The most immediate shock has come from a federal budget bill that ended SNAP benefits for more than 4,000 legal immigrants and refugees in Franklin County. Local food pantries report growing lines, while families who once relied on a modest but steady food benefit now find themselves calculating which meals to skip.

County Commissioner John O’Grady noted that immigrants make up 8.7% of Ohio’s population but contribute nearly 12% of the region’s GDP, generating $2.1 billion in annual tax revenue. Central Ohio advocates say stripping food aid from this group makes no economic sense and risks lasting harm to children.

For families cut off from SNAP, the choice is often between rent and groceries. Parents report watering down milk, skipping their own meals, and giving up fresh fruits and vegetables first. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s official SNAP guidance, available through USDA’s SNAP program, lays out basic eligibility rules, but local attorneys say many immigrants who followed those rules for years have now been excluded overnight simply because of their status.

Fee hikes: work authorization and parole become costly

At the same time, the federal government has sharply increased fees for work permits and humanitarian parole renewals, adding another heavy burden.

• Work authorization applications that were previously free now cost $540 per person.
  • A family of four seeking asylum must pay more than $2,160 just to obtain work cards.
• Humanitarian parole renewals (including many Ukrainians) have seen fees double or triple, with some paying nearly $1,500 to extend parole status.

Central Ohio advocates emphasize that these higher fees clash directly with the SNAP cuts: people who are blocked from food aid are being asked to pay more simply for the right to work.

Local service providers report clients taking out high-interest loans, maxing out credit cards, or working extra overnight shifts to cover legal and filing costs, even as they struggle to keep up with rent and groceries.

Enforcement increases and courthouse fears

For those who fall out of legal status because they can’t afford these fees, the risks are rising. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased its presence outside courthouses in central Ohio, turning routine legal appointments into moments of panic.

“When your name can be pulled from a public court record and flagged just because it sounds foreign, of course people stay away,” said attorney Joseph Mas, former executive director of the Ohio Commission on Hispanic Latino Affairs.

According to local lawyers, ICE officers have been using public dockets to find individuals with foreign-sounding names, then waiting outside buildings to stop them. Central Ohio advocates say this practice scares not only undocumented residents but also mixed-status families that include U.S. citizen children and lawful permanent residents.

Workplace raids have also returned as a central feature of enforcement in Northeast and central Ohio. Employers in construction, food processing, cleaning, and logistics report more federal visits, with some raids ending in multiple detentions and swift deportations.

Legal experts warn that employment eligibility audits are likely to increase, placing bosses under pressure to over-screen workers or fire anyone whose paperwork raises questions, even when errors are minor and fixable.

State-level proposals and local consequences

Analysis by VisaVerge.com shows these federal shifts are combining with new state proposals that would change daily life for immigrants across Ohio.

Key pending measures:
– Senate Bill 172 — passed the Ohio Senate in June 2025.
– House Bill 200 — continues to move forward.

Both measures would require local police and sheriffs to take a more active role in federal immigration enforcement, including:
– honoring ICE detainers;
– sharing more information about those held in local jails.

Civil rights groups warn this would turn routine police encounters into immigration traps. The ACLU of Ohio and Ohio Immigrant Alliance have urged sheriffs to refuse voluntary partnerships with ICE, citing:
– public safety risks;
– legal liability;
– higher costs for county jails.

They also point to reports from other states where jails working closely with ICE faced allegations of denial of medical care, physical mistreatment, and wrongful detention of U.S. citizens who were misidentified.

Property concerns

Another worry in the state measures relates to property rights. Central Ohio advocates fear that language in proposed legislation could limit immigrants’ ability to own land in Ohio. While details are still being debated, immigrant business owners and farm workers say even the suggestion that non-citizens might one day be barred from owning property sends a chilling signal.

Real estate agents in Franklin County describe clients asking whether it is still safe to buy a house if one spouse does not have a green card.

Fragile federal programs: DACA and asylum pathways

On the federal side, programs that once offered a measure of stability now feel fragile.

• The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program remains in place for current recipients after a Fifth Circuit Court decision in January 2025, but no new applications are being accepted.
  • Young adults with DACA protections told lawyers they now hesitate to change jobs, start businesses, or attend graduate school because they don’t know how long the program will last.
• Asylum seekers face a tougher path.
  • The administration has ended several Biden-era humanitarian programs that had made it easier for certain groups to apply for protection and temporary work authorization from within the U.S. 🇺🇸.
  • New rules and higher fees mean many asylum seekers must now wait longer in legal limbo, often with no permission to work while their cases move slowly through the system.

The combined effect is a climate of fear that cuts across legal categories. Even green card holders and U.S. citizens in mixed-status families report thinking twice before visiting a hospital or calling the police, worried that a relative could end up in immigration custody.

Mas said he has advised some undocumented immigrants to “lay low” and avoid any contact with law enforcement or courts, even when they are victims of crime or need traffic matters resolved.

Community response: nonprofits, local government, and employers

Inside Franklin County’s immigrant neighborhoods, nonprofits are scrambling to respond.

• The Center for Immigrants in Columbus has expanded support services, adding:
  • more legal assistance hours;
  • job readiness workshops;
  • English language classes.

Staff report new questions about:
– how SNAP (Food Stamps) Cuts intersect with immigration status;
– how fee hikes affect work permits;
– whether it is safe to appear at court hearings or government offices.

Community centers are trying to stretch private donations to cover what federal benefits no longer provide. Initiatives include:
– Emergency food distributions targeted at recent arrivals who could never qualify for public aid.
– Volunteer training to explain the difference between local police and federal immigration agents, aiming to reassure victims of domestic violence or wage theft that they can still come forward.

Local governments are also under pressure. Central Ohio advocates demand that city councils and county commissioners publicly disclose any contracts or agreements with ICE, including:
– policies for honoring detainers;
– access rules for federal agents in jails.

They argue transparency is essential to rebuild trust in neighborhoods where residents now fear that a simple traffic stop could end in deportation.

Employers and business leaders warn the crackdown will harm families and weaken the local economy. With immigrants contributing nearly 12% of the region’s GDP and paying $2.1 billion in taxes each year, Central Ohio’s reliance on foreign-born workers and students is clear.

Reported employer responses:
– More cautious hiring practices to avoid audits — slowing production.
– Legal reviews of employment records to guard against penalties.
– Business coalitions beginning quiet talks with lawmakers, arguing that policies meant to show toughness on immigration are instead driving away talent and investment.

Daily decisions under uncertainty

For now, families caught between rule changes, SNAP (Food Stamps) Cuts, court fears, and higher fees are left to improvise.

Examples of difficult choices:
1. Whether to risk a courthouse visit to pay a traffic ticket, knowing ICE might be outside.
2. Whether DACA students should renew studies or switch to full-time work while they still can.
3. Whether seniors should avoid taking grandchildren to medical appointments out of fear.

“When your name can be pulled from a public court record and flagged just because it sounds foreign, of course people stay away,” — Joseph Mas

In central Ohio, the debate over immigration is no longer an abstract policy fight; it is a daily calculation about food, safety, and future plans. Central Ohio advocates say decisions made in Columbus, Washington, and county offices over the coming months will determine whether the region remains a place where immigrants feel they can put down roots — or one where everyday tasks carry the risk of detention, debt, or deportation.