New jail policy dead after three days

BUTLER CO. - Jorge Martinez was a man without answers Monday.

He's an immigration attorney who came to the Butler County Jail to join his client for a video teleconference with the federal immigration court in Cleveland.

"I was informed that by a change of policy, attorneys are no longer allowed to get inside for court hearings," said Martinez.

He said an agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, stationed at the jail told him immigration attorneys could no longer be with their clients during the teleconference for security reasons.

Martinez said no further explanation was given.

He would have to make the four hour drive to the Immigration court in Cleveland to attend a hearing that would begin in 30 minutes.

He didn't think the new rule was fair.

"I was really, really concerned about the right of my clients."

Martinez wasn't the only one who was frustrated.

When an email was sent out from the American Immigration Lawyer's Association to its members alerting them to the policy, attorney Thomas Geygan Jr. was dumfounded.

"It will make it harder for them to explore all of the rights and opportunities that they may have to legally stay here."

Attorney Marilyn Zayas-Davis saw repercussions of the policy, threatening more than just the rights of undocumented aliens. 

"Once we start to chisel away at any group in society, we're just allowing for that chisel to continue to chisel away a larger group and a larger group until it hits us all."

Deputy Warden Lt. Nick Fisher  told Channel 9 ICE was fully responsible for the new policy.

An ICE official, who didn't want to be named, said by phone the rule originated with the Butler County facility.

This afternoon, Sheriff Rick Jones put the matter to rest. "I'll take full responsibility for what goes on in this facility. I run the jail here."

He also put the policy out to pasture. "It was brought to our attention by you, that there was an issue with it... We had no idea there was an issue with it.....It's changed, it's finished. It's done. It's over."

Jones says he was concerned about civilians inside a secure compound.  "Nobody was not offered representation. They were just told that they could either do it by phone, or they could go to Cleveland and personally sit on on the hearing there."

He had the policy canceled, which was effective immediately.

That brought a sigh of relief from Jorge Martinez. "It's terrific news for my clients. I'm happy to know it's been rescinded."