HAMILTON, Ohio — The Butler County sheriff said Monday he will refuse any request from Gov. Mike DeWine to release a former Cincinnati Children's chaplain from jail.
Faith leaders from across the state gathered at the Ohio Statehouse Monday morning to urge the governor to use his authority to call for Ayman Soliman's release from the Butler County Jail. Soliman was detained during what was supposed to be a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this summer, his attorneys said.
Soliman had been granted asylum after arriving in the U.S. over a decade ago, but his attorneys said Soliman was notified that the process to revoke his status began in December 2024, when they said an asylum officer labeled an organization Soliman was involved with in Egypt as a terrorist group despite neither the U.S. nor Egypt designating the group as such.
WATCH: We break down Ayman Soliman's case
They have filed multiple lawsuits challenging the termination, and most recently filed an emergency petition requesting a temporary restraining order in his case after stating Soliman was placed into segregated custody and was prevented from having visitors, including his own lawyers, at the Butler County Jail.
As faith leaders now call on the governor to intervene, Sheriff Richard Jones told 700 WLW's Bill Cunningham on Monday he will not listen to any requests from DeWine.
"I am an elected sheriff by the people of Butler County, chosen to serve six terms. It is my sworn duty to protect this community and to uphold the law — including federal immigration law. I do not pick and choose which laws to enforce, I do not fear the governor, I would fear compromising the safety of the citizens I serve," Jones said in a statement.
At this time, no formal request has been made by the governor.