At least 50 individuals were arrested near the Oberlin Walmart in a joint law enforcement operation between the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency on the morning of Sept. 3. The Sheriff’s Office shared with the College that all those arrested were connected to an ongoing labor trafficking investigation related to the greenhouse agriculture operation Green Circle Growers. The investigation was in process for over a year before ICE stepped in to assist with the case, according to The Chronicle-Telegram in their coverage of the incident on Thursday. Oberlin City Council Member Libni López was one of the first individuals witnessing what unfolded that morning. Driving past an open field near Walmart close to 7 a.m., López saw an individual recording a video of a flock of unmarked white vans, Ford F-150s, and white drones buzzing in the air atop an open field close to Walmart, with individuals strapping on vests. “I saw people in a white van being removed and detained,” López said of what they witnessed later in the morning. “They were being zip-tied and transported to another vehicle.” According to the Chief Deputy of the Lorain County Sheriff’s office Tanya Czack, who spoke to the Chronicle, these white vans were used to privately transport victims to social services. Concern remains in the broader Oberlin community that ICE agents were taking the opportunity to detain unrelated individuals on the basis of immigration status. Though the Chronicle states the joint operation saved migrant workers from a wage theft scheme, the scene López described contradicts this. “All 50 of the people detained are, in fact, migrant workers,” they said. The Chronicle stated that ICE “stepped in to take over” once the victims of the trafficking were apprehended. It is unclear whether the victims are now in ICE custody. The Oberlin Review sent a request for comment to the Sheriff’s Office Thursday night. The operation did not target anyone connected to Oberlin College community, according to President Carmen Twillie Ambar. On Thursday evening, President Ambar spoke alongside Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Josh Nolan during a Conversations with Counsel event scheduled spontaneously to interface with the Oberlin community in the immediate wake of the raid that morning. There, they reiterated Oberlin’s legal protocol in the case that enforcement agents ever interact with community members within Oberlin’s perimeter. That protocol states that in the event that any law enforcement agents are seen on College premises, community memebers should promptly inform Campus Safety. According to President Ambar, law enforcement agents are only permitted to enter private College premises with proper legal authorization, namely a judicial warrant. Not all parts of campus are considered “private,” but would likely include residence halls and private offices. She stated that for any members of the Oberlin College community who are questioned by an enforcement agent, they are not required to answer any questions directly, and to instead refer agents to the General Counsel’s office. President Ambar also advised members to call Campus Safety if they are questioned by enforcement agents. From that point, Campus Safety officers are expected to walk enforcement agents to the General Counsel’s office. “There are only certain people who are able to speak on behalf of the College, and those individuals are [those] in the General Counsel’s office,” President Ambar said. President Ambar communicated that this protocol ensures only the trained and informed General Counsel members will represent the College, putting the institution in the most advantageous position should the College take legal action regarding unlawful conduct by immigration officers, which they intend to do if their rights as a private institution are violated. If any individual community member is subject to such action for an enforcement agent, Ambar said Oberlin would also direct the affected individual to affordable and quality legal services. In an email sent by President Ambar’s office on Thursday morning, she conveyed her concerns about the conduct of federal law enforcement agencies in recent months. “We are all being inundated with images of enforcement actions that show a disregard for human dignity,” President Ambar wrote in the email. “These actions run counter to my understanding of this nation’s values.” In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement agencies have been subject to heightened scrutiny about the constitutionality of their actions. In April 2026, the American Civil Liberties Union of D.C., the state of Minnesota, and Protect Democracy filed a joint lawsuit against the DHS over an unprecedented search and seizure policy allowing ICE agents to enter citizens’ homes without a warrant. POLITICO, The New York Times, and the ACLU have reported on hundreds of instances of alleged misconduct by ICE agents since the first year of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term. “Institutions thrive in a democracy,” President Ambar said. “None of us are better off when democracy is at risk.” She stressed the importance of resilience and unity amongst the Oberlin community during this time. This is a developing story. The Review will provide updates as the situation evolves. A correction was made to this article on Tuesday, September 8th, regarding the official authorization required by federal law enforcement agents to enter private property. The article previously stated that either a judicial or criminal warrant would be sufficient for entering a private space. Administrative warrants, however, are not signed by federal judges and are not currently supported by the law as sufficient clearance for agents to enter private spaces.