A 26-year-old cited after a Sept. 14 crash was described as undocumented by Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones. Jones says West Chester policy blocked ICE contact; township officials deny it, saying there was no legal basis to arrest him without a warrant or ICE detainer.
West Chester spokesperson Brianna Wooten said no township policy prevents officers from working with immigration enforcement. Trustees said police routinely cooperate with federal, state and local agencies, including ICE, to investigate crimes and apprehend wanted people. Wooten said the officer acted appropriately and Jones was wrong that he knew the man's immigration status; no one was injured.
Jones has called West Chester a sanctuary township and has been able to detain ICE arrestees at his jail since March 2025. He said the man was from Mexico, had been in the U.S. for four years and would likely be deported; DHS data showed him in Butler County Jail on Sept. 25. Trustees accused Jones of spreading inaccurate information and making personal attacks against Police Chief Brian Rebholz, urging direct communication over law-enforcement disagreements.
