Ohio Immigration Law Guide — Rights & Resources

Ohio does not have a statewide sanctuary law, but also has not enacted a broad anti-sanctuary statute. Some local municipalities have adopted informal policies limiting cooperation with ICE. Legislative proposals to ban sanctuary policies have been introduced but not enacted as a statewide mandate. Individual counties and cities set their own policies regarding ICE cooperation.

Ohio does not issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. Applicants must provide proof of lawful presence under the REAL ID Act compliance requirements. DACA recipients may obtain licenses with valid Employment Authorization Documents.

Ohio's residency rules may not grant resident tuition status to an alien who is neither an "immigrant" (granted the right to reside permanently in the U.S.) nor a "nonimmigrant" (granted the right to reside temporarily), which excludes undocumented students. The chancellor's administrative rules set out how immigration status and Ohio domicile are evaluated for resident tuition; eligibility depends on the student's specific status and residency facts — confirm with a lawyer or the institution's residency officer. §3333.31

Mandatory for all state agencies and public contractors. Private employers are not required to use E-Verify but may do so voluntarily. §9.84

The Immigration and Nationality Act §8 U.S.C. 1101 governs admission, removal, Naturalization, and work authorization. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act §15 U.S.C. 1692 protects all consumers regardless of immigration status. Under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, all persons in the United States — including noncitizens — have constitutional protections.