Video from previous coverage.
GRATIS, Ohio (WXIX) – An out-of-town police chief and another officer visiting three Cincinnati schools, claiming to be with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have been placed on leave.
Last week, CPS Superintendent Shauna Murphy said Gratis Police Chief Tonina Lamanna and an officer drove more than an hour to do “wellness checks” on students at three different schools.
Lamanna claimed to be acting on ICE authority, according to Murphy.
Gratis Police Chief Tonina Lamanna at Western Hills University High School on April 15.(Cincinnati Public Schools)
The Gratis Police Department has a formal agreement to work with ICE.
The Memorandum of Agreement between ICE and Gratis PD allows trained officer to act on limited authority within their jurisdiction.
Chief Lamanna going more than an hour outside of her jurisdiction has sparked controversy, leading to her being placed on administrative leave along with Officer Jeffrey Baylor.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones just won his sixth term in office.(FOX19 NOW)
“She never should have done it,” the Butler County sheriff said. “She never should have gone out of her jurisdiction and surely shouldn’t have gone to Hamilton County or the city.”
The Village of Gratis says they were not made aware of Chief Lamanna’s actions prior to the operation and only became aware of the situation when contacted by other law enforcement agencies, according to a release.
Gratis Police Chief Tonina Lammana visited 3 Cincinnati Public Schools on April 15, claiming to be with ICE, according to CPS.(Cincinnati Public Schools)
In a statement after an executive session, the administration says, “The Village of Gratis does not condone these actions. It is not the practice or policy of the Village to participate in law enforcement operations outside of our jurisdiction, particularly those occurring two counties away.”
In a vote Sunday, the Village voted to place Chief Lamanna and Officer Baylor on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.
After the initial incident, an ICE spokesperson provided FOX19 NOW with the following statement:
“ICE does not target schools for enforcement actions. Yesterday, a local law enforcement partner attempted to verify school enrollment and conduct welfare checks on children who arrived unaccompanied across the border. To be crystal clear this was not an ICE officer or an enforcement action.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations is dedicated to locating the 450,000 unaccompanied children that came in through the border under the Biden administration. Sadly, during those four years, many of these children who came across the border unaccompanied were placed with unvetted sponsors who were actually smugglers and sex traffickers. The Trump administration has located more than 145,000 of these children.
In November 2025, DHS announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched an initiative with our state and local law enforcement 287(g) partners aimed at protecting the 450,000 unaccompanied children (UAC) illegally smuggled over the border and placed with unvetted sponsors under the Biden administration. This new law enforcement partnership, known as the UAC Safety Verification Initiative, represents ICE’s commitment to protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse and exploitation through collaboration with 287(g) law enforcement partners. The primary focus of this initiative is to conduct welfare checks on these children to ensure that they are safe and not being exploited.
Lamanna and Officer Baylor did not get access to CPS students, according to the superintendent.
Lamanna has talked with CPS General Council Daniel Hoying since what unfolded Wednesday.
Hoying said the Gratis police chief told him she would not be doing checks at Cincinnati schools anymore.
FOX19 NOW has reached out to Chief Lamanna for comment. She has not responded.
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