Expedited Removal

For those who work with or know someone who is or could be mistaken for someone who is undocumented, it is important to know the following recent changes within the Department of Homeland Security. For employers, you may consider working on a plan to follow should ICE come to your place of business. This helpful information below was taken from the National Immigration Law Center's website:

Last updated 1/24/25

The Department of Homeland Security expanded its use of a process called “expedited removal.” Undocumented community members are now at greater risk of being put in a rapid deportation process without the right to appear in front of an immigration judge or fight their case. These changes were effective as of Jan. 21, 2025. Individuals should exercise their existing rights and follow steps to protect themselves and their families.

What is expedited removal?

When ICE or CBP arrests a person within the United States (as opposed to at the border), the person usually has the chance to see an immigration judge before they are deported. “Expedited removal” allows the government to quickly deport someone they believe to be undocumented, without ever seeing a judge. The only exception is if the person says they are afraid to return to their country and passes a fear screening interview, which might allow them to seek asylum.

What changed?

Previously, ICE and CBP only used expedited removal against people within 100 miles of the border and within 14 days of their arrival. Now, the government has said it plans to use expedited removal anywhere in the country against any undocumented person who can’t prove they have been in the U.S. continuously for two years before the arrest. DHS has announced it intends to use this power even against people who entered through a parole program.

What can community members do to prepare?

• Remember your rights to remain silent, not open your door, and not answer questions from ICE or CBP.
• Do not carry foreign identification documents, such as a foreign passport, with you, as these documents may be used against you.
• Carry with you evidence of having been in the U.S. for longer than two years, such as mail that you received at your home address with a postmark, a signed lease, church or school records with your address, etc. You may want to carry copies with you so as not to risk losing your originals. Share this evidence if / after you have been taken into custody.
• Carry with you evidence of lawful entry or current lawful status in the United States if you have it. If you have a pending asylum application or other immigration court case or appeal, carry evidence of that with you. Share this evidence if or after you have been taken into custody. The first step is to remain silent with the exception of asking to speak to a lawyer.
• If you are being taken into immigration custody and you have a fear of returning to your country of origin, state that fear loudly and clearly at every opportunity you have.
• Ask to speak to a lawyer, and do not sign any documents without consulting with a lawyer.

Cincinnati Pride

Cincinnati Pride is proud to announce and host our 2nd Annual Mx. Cincinnati Pride Pageant. This pageant recognizes and celebrates the incredible Cincinnati area LGBTQ+ community with a gender-inclusive event that celebrates all drag aesthetics. And after a fabulous year as our first titleholder, Kora Sline will be stepping down and passing the crown and sash to our next Mx Cincinnati Pride.

Tickets for audience members are on-sale now and seating is general admission. Advanced tickets are $5 but will be $7 at the door. The Carnegie is a beautiful, theatrical auditorium with orchestra seating and a balcony. Please note, drag entertainers may claim a complimentary ticket - on your honor, please pay for a ticket if you are not a drag entertainer. All proceeds go to support the event and our contestants.

Speaking of contestants... interested in competing? Expect the packet and registration information to be included on the Cincinnati Pride website (and social media) starting in early January!

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match...

The 2025 Ohio Business Matchmaker is your opportunity to access hundreds of MBE/EDGE-certified, Minority-, Women-, Veteran-Owned, 8(a), and HUBZone businesses, as well as qualified small businesses that will help you meet your small business contracting/subcontracting goals. Join us for this event!

When:

Wednesday, April 23 – Live trainings

Noon to 4:30 p.m. 

Thursday, April 24, 2025 – One-on-one meetings with small businesses

8 a.m. to 4.p.m.

Where:

The Nutter Center at Wright State University

3640 Colonel Glenn Highway

Dayton, Ohio 45324

Details will be announced soon!

Local Art

Aronoff Center

Weston Art Gallery

Robert Fronk: Riding the Wind Horse - The Works 1985 - 2025

January 24 - March 23

Presented by Nathen Chavez and Robert Chavez

A Cincinnati native, Robert Fronk has been honing his artistic practice since he graduated from the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 1981. Since 1982, he has pursued dual careers as an exhibiting artist in painting, drawing, and sculpture, and as a professional muralist specializing in largescale exterior and interior architectural trompe l'oeil treatments. Fronk’s current work is the culmination of these combined experiences as he initiates seemingly disparate projects simultaneously: exquisitely executed hyper-realistic landscapes layered with evocative religious iconography, large-scale robotic forms assembled from found wooden machine tool patterns, and intricate stained-glass windows painstakingly reclaimed and transformed into new iconic works.

More information

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

Moe & Jack Rouse and Randolph Wadsworth present:

Primary Trust

By Eboni Booth

Directed by Timothy Douglas

Feb. 1 - 23

Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama! Written with profound affection for the hero at its center, Primary Trust is an achingly beautiful, modern-day tale that will restore your faith in others. Meet Kenneth, a shy, Black 38-year-old man who sells books by day and drinks mai tais with his best friend Bert by night. When Kenneth is suddenly laid off from his job, the walls of his comfortable, predictable life start to crumble. The transformation gives way to remarkable revelations as Kenneth finds kindness and friendship in unlikely places. Hailed by critics as “utterly absorbing” (The Daily Beast) and “wonderfully vivid” (The New York Times), this recent off-Broadway hit paints a heartening portrait of a life that’s far from simple.



TICKETS

Cincinnati Music Hall

Cincinnati Ballet presents

The Wizard of Oz

February 21 - March 2

I'LL GET YOU, MY PRETTY.

There’s no place like Music Hall for choreographer Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz. Join Dorothy on the yellow brick road but watch out for the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys! This production features fantastic special effects and gorgeous sets and costumes. With music from Matthew Pierce performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. 

Storylines and visual elements from the MGM motion picture The Wizard of Oz provided by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures

Tickets

Aronoff Center

Churchill

March 29 @ 2pm

March 29 @ 7:30pm

March 30 @ 2pm

Winston Churchill has just been awarded honorary U.S. citizenship by President John F. Kennedy. In recognition of this unprecedented occasion, The American-Oxford Society has asked the former Prime Minister to address them and discuss what this honor means to him.

In this often funny, sometimes touching, and always engaging one-man show created by British actor David Payne (author of An Evening with C.S. Lewis and Christmas with C.S. Lewis), Churchill will be brought to life on stage by David’s talented son, Daniel Payne.

Audiences will be delighted to hear of his exploits during the Boer War, his constant battles with Britain’s fellow politicians, and his special relationship with America and America’s presidents. But most telling of all, Churchill enlightens the audience with intimate and touching details of the two special women in his life—his wife Clementine and Queen Elizabeth.

With elements of The Crown and The Darkest Hour, Daniel Payne gives audiences an opportunity to spend an evening with one of the greatest historical figures in the world—Sir Winston Churchill.

Tickets

Recovery Friendly Hamilton County

A great resource for employers! This no-cost, award-winning program comes with nationally recognized policy templates, nationally awarded trainings, consultation services, and much more. Visit this website for more information!

The Listings

The 2024 - 2025 Listings was published in June. If you didn't get your copy at Pride, or would like a handful to share, please email number of copies and address to thecincinnatilistings@gmail.com.

Community Support

Proud Scholars

GLSEN