By This Is Topeka Staff
Recent booking reports from the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center suggest a subtle yet concerning trend: a shift away from explicitly listing “ICE Holds” and toward a pattern of “Hold for Positive Identification” notations, almost exclusively applied to individuals with Hispanic surnames.
This change comes just over a month after This Is Topeka reported on the prevalence of immigration-related detentions in the county jail. That report, which pointed out a pattern of immigration holds disproportionately affecting Hispanic residents, prompted backlash directed at the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, including demands for transparency on local-federal cooperation regarding immigration enforcement.
Since that reporting, there has been a noticeable absence of formal “ICE Hold” listings in public booking logs.
However, the June 2, 2025 booking report paints a nuanced picture. Three individuals—Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Luis, Medina-Zeledon, Juan Alberto, and Cruz-Alvarado, Juan Carlos—were all booked on routine driving or misdemeanor charges, but each was flagged with “Hold for Positive Identification” and no bond allowed. These notations appeared alongside minor charges like driving without a valid license or misdemeanor DUI, offenses that typically come with set bonds.
Conversely, others booked on more severe or violent charges—including aggravated battery and child endangerment—were not marked with any ID hold.
Red Flag or Bureaucratic Coincidence?
Civil rights advocates suggest these “positive ID” holds may be a workaround to delay or obscure immigration status reviews, potentially allowing time for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be notified without triggering the political or legal consequences that come with officially labeling it an “ICE Hold.”
“The change in language doesn’t change the impact,” said a local immigration attorney who asked to remain anonymous. “If someone is held without bond for a misdemeanor DUI while others walk on more serious offenses, the public has a right to ask what’s really going on.”
Why It Matters
With no federal protections currently in place designating schools, hospitals, or jails as “sensitive locations” exempt from ICE enforcement—as was policy prior to 2024—local jurisdictions have been left to decide how to handle interactions with immigration authorities. That discretion has led to inconsistent enforcement and, critics argue, opportunities for civil rights abuses under bureaucratic cover.
What’s Next
Community members are calling for a formal statement from the Sheriff’s Office, as well as policy clarification on whether racial or ethnic profiling is being used to determine which individuals are subject to these no-bond “ID holds.”
In the meantime, the pattern speaks for itself. While “ICE Hold” may have disappeared from public view, its shadow may remain under a different name.
