Video of Columbus Woman Detained by ICE Agents Goes Viral on Social Media
Columbus, Ohio – A west side Columbus family is speaking out after 63-year-old Sandra Esqueda, a long-time resident of the city, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside her home last week.
Esqueda was returning from a grocery store when ICE agents reportedly surrounded her vehicle. She was later booked into Butler County Jail on June 10 and remains there under an “ICE hold” pending a court appearance scheduled for June 24.
Her daughter, Merari Esqueda, captured video footage of the arrest and shared it on TikTok, where it quickly gained over 350,000 views. “She’s our mother, our grandmother, the heart of our family,” Merari said.
Sandra originally immigrated from Mexico in the late 1980s and has spent over 30 years in Columbus, raising seven children while working as a cleaner in homes and businesses across central Ohio. “She loved Ohio and wanted to make this city her permanent home,” her daughter shared.
According to Merari, Sandra’s work visa expired in 2020, and she had been actively working with attorneys to renew it. The family insists they were unaware of any active deportation order at the time of her arrest.
Court records from Franklin County show Sandra has prior misdemeanor DUI convictions and traffic violations dating back to 2000. As of this publication, U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not issued an official statement regarding the arrest.
The arrest comes amid heightened immigration enforcement policies targeting non-citizens with criminal records. “My mother has always embraced being part of this country,” Merari said. “She taught us American values and wanted nothing more than to stay here legally.”
The family is hopeful that bond will be granted during her upcoming court hearing. They continue to rally public support and raise awareness of her case through social media.
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