An investigative report on how Ohio sheriffs turned traffic tickets into ICE money, arrested a working mother, and helped to make your county into a quiet deportation machine.
Ah Bruce Zuchowski... He was also the sheriff who told Portage County residents to give him a list of neighbors supporting Kamala Harris., and he is currently suing a resident who documents his bad behavior on Facebook.
Portage County is also where a recent ASIG "INTO ACTION" training made news (ASIG is an extremist group, like the Oath Keepers or Proud Boys). They advertised that law enforcement and elected officials would be present...I wonder if that meant Bruce?...
Oh wow, you just lit a fire in my brain. I actually did an investigation on ASIG in Ohio. That was my first ever investigative article. I looked into this poster that was making rounds in Ohio. This may be even deeper than I realized.
Having lived here my whole life, Ohio has become the Alabama of the north, so to speak. It is a cesspool of right wing hate groups, militias and bigotry. Not out of thin air, of course, the ingredients were all there for decades. Now, it is simply better organized and promoted by local officials. The days of Ohio being a supposed political swing state are long gone.
I’ve lived here for 32 years. During the years that I was busy raising a young family, I didn’t understand as much about politics and the power structure; but for the first few decades, I was relieved that we were *at least* a swing state.
Still, I wondered HOW it was 🤔 that only FOUR of our 16 congressional reps (16 back then, 15 now) were ‘D’ and 12 were ‘R’…did not make sense to me, but I was young & busy!
I never even heard the word ‘gerrymander’ until about 10 years ago.
Anyway, in the last 10 years, this state may as well be FL or (even worse) TX. The people have been VOTING DOWN gerrymandering for the last 10 years, and the arrogant SOB’s that run the state have defied this at every turn — to the point that they flat-out LIED, reworded, and confused the voting public into voting to KEEP GERRYMANDERING legal in this state‼️
It defies belief, and it’s getting more depressing by the year, month, week, and day now.
We show up, we march, we protest; but those MO’FO’s at the statehouse just keep doing what their twisted evil selves want to do.
Thank you for this piece. I live in Ohio and wrote about 287 (g). I noted that of course, Portage County was signed up, given the allegations of this sheriff who continually engages in activities that should reasonably have someone removed. I will elevate this to many different groups in our state to make sure people are aware.
Truly appreciate your work— keep pushing and never back down! Anything I can do to help, just let me know. On your left. ❤️🔥💪🏼
My experience has been the sooner the local community can get the word out and show up to the place the person is being detained in the better the chance is for release. I live in the southwest and near where I live a man in the country for over 15 years was taken. Because his community had developed a text chain they were able to mobilize quickly to protest. He was released because of their quick action. Now is the time for every community to get to know their neighbors and form a system to inform each other should a situation such as the one your article describes should occur. ICE block is an app to put on your phone as well so you are aware when ICE is in your vicinity. As helpless as we feel sometimes about all of this we do have some power to help.
We are just authorizing murder all over this country. Murder murder, murder, kidnap torture, murder that’s what this country is now we are a country of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering. And all these police officers that were sworn to protect us, this military that was sworn to protect us who is now being put to shoot us fuck these people that just take it fuck these people that don’t stand up to that piece of shit instead, they are murdering their own people. I hate this goddamn country. I hate this fucking country.
Rosemary, I completely understand your reaction. But let’s not go down without a fight, a fight for truth, justice, and goodness, for a society that respects everyone and helps each other, not harms each other.
You don’t fight criminals, monsters and murderers with goodness, justice and truth! That is the opposite of what they are!! Look where that has gotten us so far!!we get rid of them, somehow, and then we have goodness justice and truth, but until then you have to fight fire with fire😡😡😡😡😡
It’s not our country, it’s the white guy ignorant racist clubs across America! Sadly we are living in an authoritarian regime and a bloodless revolution is underway! Everyone however possible needs to rise and stand up for who we really are- or our democracy will die a death of 1000 cuts.
OMG- this is the area I grew up in. I just can’t believe the cruelty of these people. It’s known that law enforcement there is corrupt but I wouldn’t have thought they would be involved in this kind of stuff.
Our police chief attended our Indivisible group meeting and told us that he is not notified when ICE is in the area. He is against the 287(g) program (as are some of the chiefs in the area) but he told us he has to walk a fine line between protecting us and not breaking federal laws. The net was that, as far as ICE is concerned, we are on our own. We cannot count on local law enforcement to protect us from being kidnapped by ICE.
I've just finished perusing our local weekly of the past month, and found two stories on neighboring towns whose police chiefs were quoted as saying essentially the same: they don't hear from ICE before any activity, and they don't incarcerate people facing only civil warrants and turn them over to ICE. They do, however, keep people with valid criminal warrants and turn them over to ICE on demand.
Ah Bruce Zuchowski... He was also the sheriff who told Portage County residents to give him a list of neighbors supporting Kamala Harris., and he is currently suing a resident who documents his bad behavior on Facebook.
Portage County is also where a recent ASIG "INTO ACTION" training made news (ASIG is an extremist group, like the Oath Keepers or Proud Boys). They advertised that law enforcement and elected officials would be present...I wonder if that meant Bruce?...
Oh wow, you just lit a fire in my brain. I actually did an investigation on ASIG in Ohio. That was my first ever investigative article. I looked into this poster that was making rounds in Ohio. This may be even deeper than I realized.
https://open.substack.com/pub/dissentinbloom/p/the-christian-nationalist-grift-thats?r=4gqdbp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Great articles, both this one and your ASIG one. I'll DM you a couple thoughts of mine, should you want to probe deeper.
I need to ask you something off the books please give me an email thanks. laurathepharmacist@yahoo.com
I just sent you an email.
Having lived here my whole life, Ohio has become the Alabama of the north, so to speak. It is a cesspool of right wing hate groups, militias and bigotry. Not out of thin air, of course, the ingredients were all there for decades. Now, it is simply better organized and promoted by local officials. The days of Ohio being a supposed political swing state are long gone.
I’ve lived here for 32 years. During the years that I was busy raising a young family, I didn’t understand as much about politics and the power structure; but for the first few decades, I was relieved that we were *at least* a swing state.
Still, I wondered HOW it was 🤔 that only FOUR of our 16 congressional reps (16 back then, 15 now) were ‘D’ and 12 were ‘R’…did not make sense to me, but I was young & busy!
I never even heard the word ‘gerrymander’ until about 10 years ago.
Anyway, in the last 10 years, this state may as well be FL or (even worse) TX. The people have been VOTING DOWN gerrymandering for the last 10 years, and the arrogant SOB’s that run the state have defied this at every turn — to the point that they flat-out LIED, reworded, and confused the voting public into voting to KEEP GERRYMANDERING legal in this state‼️
It defies belief, and it’s getting more depressing by the year, month, week, and day now.
We show up, we march, we protest; but those MO’FO’s at the statehouse just keep doing what their twisted evil selves want to do.
It’s a SHAMEFUL state of affairs 👿👺☠️
Holy fuck!!!!!!!
Every moment of everyday - the bombardment of disgusting greedy sick people doing horrible things - this is so so beyond the pale. I just can’t
Thank you for this piece. I live in Ohio and wrote about 287 (g). I noted that of course, Portage County was signed up, given the allegations of this sheriff who continually engages in activities that should reasonably have someone removed. I will elevate this to many different groups in our state to make sure people are aware.
Truly appreciate your work— keep pushing and never back down! Anything I can do to help, just let me know. On your left. ❤️🔥💪🏼
My experience has been the sooner the local community can get the word out and show up to the place the person is being detained in the better the chance is for release. I live in the southwest and near where I live a man in the country for over 15 years was taken. Because his community had developed a text chain they were able to mobilize quickly to protest. He was released because of their quick action. Now is the time for every community to get to know their neighbors and form a system to inform each other should a situation such as the one your article describes should occur. ICE block is an app to put on your phone as well so you are aware when ICE is in your vicinity. As helpless as we feel sometimes about all of this we do have some power to help.
All for the money!! It’s beyond disgusting!!!! 🤢 🤮
We are just authorizing murder all over this country. Murder murder, murder, kidnap torture, murder that’s what this country is now we are a country of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering. And all these police officers that were sworn to protect us, this military that was sworn to protect us who is now being put to shoot us fuck these people that just take it fuck these people that don’t stand up to that piece of shit instead, they are murdering their own people. I hate this goddamn country. I hate this fucking country.
Rosemary, I completely understand your reaction. But let’s not go down without a fight, a fight for truth, justice, and goodness, for a society that respects everyone and helps each other, not harms each other.
You don’t fight criminals, monsters and murderers with goodness, justice and truth! That is the opposite of what they are!! Look where that has gotten us so far!!we get rid of them, somehow, and then we have goodness justice and truth, but until then you have to fight fire with fire😡😡😡😡😡
It’s not our country, it’s the white guy ignorant racist clubs across America! Sadly we are living in an authoritarian regime and a bloodless revolution is underway! Everyone however possible needs to rise and stand up for who we really are- or our democracy will die a death of 1000 cuts.
His name alone identifies him as a descendant of fairly recent immigrants. Who likely came here to get away from everyday monsters like him.
OMG- this is the area I grew up in. I just can’t believe the cruelty of these people. It’s known that law enforcement there is corrupt but I wouldn’t have thought they would be involved in this kind of stuff.
Our police chief attended our Indivisible group meeting and told us that he is not notified when ICE is in the area. He is against the 287(g) program (as are some of the chiefs in the area) but he told us he has to walk a fine line between protecting us and not breaking federal laws. The net was that, as far as ICE is concerned, we are on our own. We cannot count on local law enforcement to protect us from being kidnapped by ICE.
WTF !!
I've just finished perusing our local weekly of the past month, and found two stories on neighboring towns whose police chiefs were quoted as saying essentially the same: they don't hear from ICE before any activity, and they don't incarcerate people facing only civil warrants and turn them over to ICE. They do, however, keep people with valid criminal warrants and turn them over to ICE on demand.
There is only one word I use that encapsulates these demons' actions.......EVIL.
Another reason, among others, to not live in Ohio.
Heads need to roll. Literally. Otherwise these greedy assholes will continue to disappear people in the name of capitalism. No.
EXCELLENT. Thank you.
It’s all about money. This is not good at all!
Thank you for both articles. Deeply disturbing but not surprising.
White boys in uniform, say no more……