• Samuel Saxon arrested after witness reported seeing him put girlfriend in chokehold
• Police had responded to the couple’s residence approximately 23 times in 18 months
• Prosecutors allege victim suffered broken pelvis in April and broken nose in 2018

CINCINNATI, OH (TDR) — An ICE supervisor jailed on domestic violence charges now finds himself locked up in the same facility where he sent immigration detainees, marking what advocates say may be the first time an agent has been incarcerated in his own ICE jail.

Cincinnati Immigration and Customs Enforcement supervisor Samuel Saxon was initially held at Hamilton County Jail on a $400,000 bond last week on domestic violence charges stemming from a Dec. 5 incident. The 47-year-old now also faces federal charges and has been transferred into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, according to inmate records for the Butler County Jail, Ohio’s largest facility housing ICE prisoners.

“This may be the first time an ICE agent is incarcerated in his own ICE jail.”

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Lynn Tramonte, executive director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, made that observation while calling attention to what she described as “the most notorious ICE prison in Ohio.”

Pattern of Alleged Abuse

Police arrested Saxon after witnesses reported seeing him put a woman he lives with in a chokehold at their Corryville apartment. Officers observed visible bruising on the victim’s neck. A neighbor recorded audio capturing screaming and sounds consistent with a physical altercation.

Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Melinda Rinehart revealed a disturbing history during Saxon’s arraignment. Police had been called to the couple’s residences approximately 23 times in the 18 months since they moved to Cincinnati. The victim allegedly suffered a broken pelvis in April and a broken nose in 2018 requiring surgery.

Federal Charges Added

Saxon now faces a federal indictment for allegedly lying to DHS investigators examining the domestic violence allegations. According to court documents, Saxon told a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General that he had not interacted in person with the victim on the day of the incident.

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Saxon claimed he merely went to slip a check under her door and that any altercation neighbors heard must have been her screaming at him over the phone. Federal prosecutors say witness statements and video evidence contradict that account.

The ICE supervisor jailed on the false statements charge faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted.

Two-Decade Career Suspended

Saxon served as assistant field office director of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Cincinnati suboffice for over 20 years. The Department of Homeland Security awarded him the Meritorious Silver Service Medal in 2016 for “exceptional individual leadership” over time. ICE officials visited Saxon in jail to inform him of his suspension.

The victim has declined to cooperate with prosecutors, but the case proceeds based on witness testimony and audio recordings. Saxon has pleaded not guilty to state charges and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 22.

Will this case prompt ICE to examine patterns of domestic violence within its ranks?

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