Springfield Mayor Reiterates Desire for 'Safety' From ICE as Public Allegations of SPD Misconduct Spread
BY JEFF SKINNER
UPDATE: This article has been updated as of 2/11/2026 9:17 p.m. to reflect breaking information pertinent to the story
SPRINGFIELD - During the regular session of the Springfield city commission, Mayor Rob Rue spoke regarding public comments he received on the city’s resolution passed last meeting requesting ICE not wear masks to protect their identity from doxing attempts by paid agitators. His response came on the heels of new allegations that members of the Springfield Police Department may have violated federal law.
During the meeting, Rue responded to public comments arguing that the resolution requesting ICE not wear masks should they conduct business in the city was a way to show ‘who he stood with’ in the city.
According to Rue, protestors who he defined as ‘cowardly’, did previously show up at his residence and he wished they were not masked, presumably so they could be identified. Though Rue was quick to point out that the desire to avoid ICE agents using masks is not to facilitate doxing of the agents but to ensure ‘safety’ only.
“When I had protestors at my house last year they were masked, and it would have been nice if they were not,” Rue said. “But they were masked, cowardly, and so the reason why we ask that any law enforcement in our area follow local law enforcement policy, is for the safety and security of our community, not for an individual group or people, it is for the safety of our community.”
Despite these claims, there has been no evidence or documentation to support the idea that federal ICE officers not wearing masks are more able to safely conduct operations than those in masks. Conversely, it has been readily apparent that paid agitator groups, under state level leadership, operating on digital platforms, such as Signal, regularly attempt to 'dox' ICE agents as a means to identify their identity to harass and threaten their families. In the case of Minneapolis, Signal channel groups, allegedly run by the state's Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who some say went by 'Flan' in the groups Admin section, shared information of who, where and when ICE agents may turn up to coordinate aggressive and violent action against operatives, where agents have been assaulted, vehicles vandalized and doxing attempts done.
Many have argued it has become increasingly confusing as to whose safety the city is concerned with. Given the number of nonprofits, State intervention and government grants the city has received as a result of the Haitian influx, it is highly likely a similar operation with state level backing could occur in the city, should ICE decide to enforce immigration policy in the city.
Members of the community have already alleged that members of the Springfield police department have shown up at hotels and motels in the area and attempted to direct staff not to cooperate with ICE officers regarding identification of their guests.
According to one hotel staff, who agreed to speak with TOR on the condition of anonymity, on or around the week before the previously expected expiration of TPS for Haitians, a female member of the Springfield police department arrived at their work location and instructed staff not to cooperate with ICE should they arrive and ask question.
"It was a city police officer, a woman, she pulled up in the city police cruiser she went to the front desk, she was very nice," The witness said. "She said they were going to the different hotels and asking that if ICE comes in asking any questions about who is there, that they are not to share any personal information with them. There were some niceties and then she left. She was very nice, but when I heard what she was saying, I did some research and if you are not legally here, and they ask that, you have to provide the information."
According to the staff member, the officer went to other hotels in the general vicinity and though no name was provided, she was described as petite, blonde and around 5'3. TOR reached out to the Springfield Chief of Police, Allison Elliott, for comment on this allegation but has not received a response in time for publication of this article.
If the allegation is true, it could represent a violation of several federal laws including 8 U.S.C. § 1373 which prohibits any local government official or entity from restricting or prohibiting any official or agency from sending or receiving information regarding an individual’s citizenship or immigration status. If the staff would adhere to those directives from the officer, they themselves, along with the officer, could be in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324 (Harboring or Concealing), 18 U.S.C. § 1505 (Obstruction of Federal Proceedings), 18 U.S.C. § 1071 (Concealing a Person from Arrest).
If these allegations are true, it would mean the Springfield Police Department is violating federal law, and attempting to direct citizens to break federal law and face potential legal consequences in an attempt to protect illegal immigrants from deportation.
In 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed lawsuits under the Supremacy Clause against jurisdictions like New York and Illinois, alleging that local policies restricting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement are unconstitutional and "void ab initio". Additionally, individual officials (such as a Massachusetts judge in 2019) have previously faced federal obstruction charges for actively helping individuals evade ICE custody.
It is important to note at this time, these are just allegations that have, to public knowledge, not been investigated. However, the witness has stated they have already reported them to ICE, The Clark County Sheriff's office and Ohio Senator Kyle Koehler, though no official response has been received.
The allegation comes on the heels of years of eyewitness testimony of SPD officers allowing Haitian drivers who have caused accidents, to leave the scene of said accidents outside of ORC and standard police protocol, which Tremont City Police Chief Chad Duncan has been on record for saying was the direct reason for why the city encrypted police communication; namely to obscure their actions from public scrutiny. According to Duncan, these actions are a reckless disregard for public safety and puts neighboring communities at risk due to the inability to listen to communications meaning Tremont is unable to respond if/when a real safety issue occurs.
In the above video clip, an officer from SPD attempts to conduct a traffic stop on a Haitian driver who allegedly caused an accident in a vehicle that does not have any license plate or temporary tags. In the video, it appears as if the officer attempts to communicate with the driver via some sort of cell phone translation before allowing the driver to drive away. Under ORC 4503.21, the vehicle in question is illegal to operate and should be towed immediately. If there was, as the video suggests, an injured passenger or driver then this incident violates ORC 4549.02 / 4513.61 and the vehicle could and should be held for evidence. While it is unclear in the video if the driver was able to provide identification and vehicle registration, if the driver did not, then the incident falls under Ohio Revised Code 4549.02, and the drive most likely should have been arrested to ensure they appeared in court for the aforementioned criminal charges. Whether those occurred is unclear.
The question of safety is an ongoing debate in the city as citizens report a two-tiered justice system that has developed.
UPDATE 2/11/2026 9:27: p.m: According to social media reports, the StopICE app, an application used to track and coordinate attacks on immigration enforcement officers, has been hacked, releasing usernames, emails and information related to the users. According to users on X.com, one user of the StopICE app is allegedly Springfield Commissioner Tracey Tackett, who may have used her government email to access the application.
As the app is regularly used to dox ICE agents and coordinate attacks on immigration enforcement, it calls serious doubt and speculation on Springfield government initiatives to request ICE agents unmask and, if true, could indicate local government coordination against federal immigration.
