COLUMBUS — The Columbus City Council has voted in favor of an executive order by Mayor Andrew Ginther creating protections for the city’s immigrants.
The vote Monday makes it against the law in Columbus to arrest or deny someone services based on their immigration status.
While the law reflects other sanctuary city laws across the country, officials say Columbus is not a “sanctuary city.” President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw federal funding from cities that act as sanctuaries for immigrants.
Nevertheless, Republican Congressman Jim Renacci, a candidate for Ohio governor next year, fired off a salvo of criticism, calling it “an appalling affront to both the immigrants who built this country and the system of laws that govern it” and referring to the measure as a declaration of Columbus as a sanctuary city.
“While deeply troubling, this ‘nullification’ movement to undermine federal policy is actually nothing new—it’s the very same failed tactic employed during the 1960s by local governments who opposed federal civil rights laws and sought to preserve the racist relics of a segregated society,” Renacci said in a statement issued by his campaign Tuesday.
As the lone Republican running for city council, Kieran Cartharn says the new ordinance jeopardizes federal funds and hurts the people of Columbus.
Renacci vowed, as governor, to withhold state funds from sanctuary cities.
Council President Zach Klein tells WCMH-TV the ordinance is about “human decency and opportunity for all.”
The ordinance goes into effect in 30 days.