Federal Immigration Authorities Detain Two Haitian Nationals in Ohio Amid SNAP Fraud Crackdown
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have taken two more Haitian nationals into custody in Ohio as part of an expanding federal crackdown targeting the alleged fraudulent collection of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
The recent arrests involve two men who entered the United States during the Biden administration and are subject to final deportation orders. The operations form part of a broader nationwide enforcement initiative launched by the Department of Homeland Security following an initial wave of arrests last week.
Federal authorities arrested Icles Cerome on Monday in Westerville. According to information confirmed by immigration enforcement sources, Cerome crossed the border illegally into Brownsville, Texas, on Dec. 29, 2023, where he was apprehended and subsequently released by Border Patrol agents. An immigration judge issued a final deportation order against him on Jan. 30, 2024. During questioning, Cerome admitted to immigration officers that he had been receiving SNAP benefits in Ohio.
The second arrest occurred Tuesday in Columbus, where authorities took Clairinor Duclerc into custody. Duclerc entered the country through California’s San Ysidro port of entry on March 29, 2024, after utilizing the CBP One mobile application. An immigration judge signed a final removal order for him on Jan. 20, 2025. Records indicate that Franklin County holds an active bench warrant for Duclerc, who informed agents that he resides in Ohio alongside his wife, who is also from Haiti, and their 1-year-old son, a U.S. citizen.
Both detentions align with a nationwide sweep initiated by the Department of Homeland Security last week, which officials described as the opening phase of a much larger enforcement effort. The initial round of the operation resulted in five arrests, comprising four Haitian nationals and one Cuban national. The four Haitian individuals arrested in that initial wave were all handled in Ohio, including one man apprehended near a Springfield shopping center in August after attempting to flee agents on foot.
Department leadership has defended the enforcement push, arguing that federal assistance programs should be reserved exclusively for citizens. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that individuals without authorization to enter the country should not be accessing nutritional assistance.
Data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services indicates that approximately 41,900 noncitizens received SNAP benefits across the state last year, though the agency notes that many of those recipients hold lawful permanent resident status.
Parallel to the immigration enforcement actions, federal prosecutors have pursued separate criminal cases involving food stamp fraud in Ohio, Illinois, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Arizona. These include an indictment in Ohio connected to an alleged $29.7 million scheme. The Justice Department reports that the initial enforcement sweep uncovered nearly $42 million in fraudulent SNAP claims and close to $45 million in total government losses.
