Local News
By Hannah Kremer, Managing Editor
On Nov. 11, the pursuit of an escaped Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee prompted the lockdown of multiple Sycamore Schools located in the Blue Ash, Ohio area.
Diyordjon Bakhtishodov, originally from Uzbekistan, was being relocated from the Warren County Jail to an ICE facility located in Blue Ash. He escaped out of the rear right window of the vehicle, leading to an on-foot pursuit.
Five days prior, Bakhtishodov was arrested in Warren County for speeding and operating a motor vehicle when his driver’s license was suspended. Upon his ordered release, ICE requested an immigration detainer. A detainer allows the detainee to be held for an additional 48 hours beyond the time of confinement so that the Department of Homeland Security can assume custody in accordance with immigration law.
The pursuit ended when Bakhtishodov was found underneath the deck of a property on Zig Zag Road. He is expected to face further charges due to his attempted escape.
As a result of the investigation, multiple schools in the Sycamore District, including Maple Dale Elementary, E.H. Greene Intermediate School, Sycamore Junior High and the Sycamore District Office, all went into lockdown from 9:30 a.m. to around 11:30 a.m. The police activity did not cross onto school properties, but occurred in the local area.
“Our priority is always to ensure the safety and security of everyone inside the buildings,” a Sycamore school district spokeswoman said. “All of our students and staff members were safe throughout the event. School leadership immediately activated our established safety protocols, including the precautionary lockdowns, as advised by law enforcement due to the external investigation.”
Sycamore High School was placed on lockdown following ICE activity in the area.
When asked if the uniqueness of this situation prompted a new protocol, the spokeswoman stated that an ongoing relationship with community partners, including law enforcement, was in place.
“While every situation is unique, our established protocols ensure we can all work together cohesively,” she said.
ICE operations have dramatically increased in 2025, with agents predominantly working out of a field office in Blue Ash. Blue Ash police also assisted ICE in the foot pursuit.
“I don’t think that it is ICE’s place to be patrolling the streets and acting like the local police, because they are not a part of local law enforcement,” junior Philosophy, Politics, and the Public major Megan Cooper said. “School is a place where kids and people are supposed to feel safe, and with ICE raids happening everywhere, schools are becoming a place where parents are fearful of sending their kids.”
Other greater Cincinnati locations in Butler, Kenton and Boone Counties have entered into agreements with ICE that allow for collaboration between their agencies and local law enforcement. Via Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, ICE can deputize state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws at their discretion.
