COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN) -- A pair of Ohio lawmakers are countering Republican assertions that local leaders should be held civilly and criminally liable for violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants within their towns.
State Representatives Dan Ramos, of Lorain; and Stephanie Howse, of Cleveland; both Democrats, are spearheading legislation to make Ohio a 'Sanctuary State'."Anti-immigrant prejudiced people have been saying these things forever. Mexicans are bringing disease. Pols, Italians, Irish, the Catholics, the Jews, they're different. They're not like us. They're diseased. They're gonna make you sick," Ramos said, in the Harding Senate Press Briefing Room at the Ohio Statehouse Tuesday morning. Ramos was animated in his way of driving home a point of what he believes is a weak argument for banning sanctuary cities in Ohio.
Ramos was joined by State Representative Stephanie Howse."When you talk about blaming immigrants and their culture for committing crimes, including assaults and rape, and bringing in sexually transmitted diseases, this is the type of language that is dangerous here in Ohio," Howse said.Howse adds, "Representative [Candice] Keller is from Butler County. I don't know what the demographics are to the tee, but I can guarantee you a majority of the people in Butler County don't look like me and don't look like Representative Ramos. What you're saying is that people who are different than you are causing a disruption to your culture. Where's the evidence?".
Ramos' and Howse's response comes one day after State Treasurer Josh Mandel, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, announced his backing of State Representative Candice Keller, a Middletown Republican, as she plans to introduce a bill that would ban sanctuary cities in Ohio and hold local leaders civilly and criminally liable for crimes perpetrated by illegal immigrants.