This story has been updated with new information and comments from the Gratis Police Department.
The Gratis Police Chief who traveled 50 miles outside her jurisdiction to visit three Cincinnati city schools looking for children on a list provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement was fired, officials said.
Gratis Village Council voted 4-2 Thursday, May 28, to fire Tonina Lamanna, according to Matt Jones, who said he is the acting interim manager of the Gratis Police Department.
“We’re examining every aspect of the department and demanding improvements, starting with complete transparency with Village Administration,” Jones said in an email. “It’s regrettable that the GPD has brought undeserved negative attention to Gratis.”
She was placed on paid leave April 19. Jeff Baylor, the Gratis officer who joined Lamanna on the Cincinnati visit, resigned on April 21.
Lamanna became the chief of the Gratis Police Department in August 2024, according to an article from the Register-Herald in Eaton.
Gratis had two full-time officers, including Lamanna, and seven part-time officers, including Baylor, according to an Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy database.
Gratis Mayor Kevin Johnson said he was not told about the operation by Lamanna and only learned about what had happened when other police departments reached out.
Lamanna, on the other hand, told The Enquirer she had ICE’s backing for the visit and was provided with a list of children’s names and schools to check up on.
The Gratis Police Department was one of 10 municipal departments in Ohio that have signed agreements with ICE for officers to work for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal database shows. It has suspended the partnership.
This story may be updated.
Enquirer media partner Fox 19 contributed to this report
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Gratis police chief who made ICE checks at Cincinnati schools is fired
Reporting by Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
