COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The U.S. Marshal’s Service is playing a key role in a coordinated effort with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to address illegal entries into the country. 

Marshal Michael Black with the Southern District of Ohio recently visited the border and shared his insights. 

Black’s team is prioritizing local cases involving fugitives who are in the country illegally. 

The marshal and several of his counterparts from throughout the country recently met with federal judges, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and border patrol agents to see firsthand how they are enforcing the Trump administration’s new policies. 

Del Rio, Texas, sits along the U.S. Southern border with Mexico, more than 1,400 miles from Columbus. 

“HSI and ICE immigration and the DOJ direction for us to get involved in and assist in immigration in the Immigration Enforcement Initiative,” Black said. “I wanted to get a better handle and a better understanding of how that’s going to impact us in the interior states.” 

According to Black, this particular border crossing has seen a significant decrease in illegal crossings, averaging 50 per day, down from 1,500 per day in 2022. 

“While we’re down there, we actually saw standing on the border, looking across into Mexico, standing at the fence, we saw no activity at all. Zero activity,” Black said. 

On Feb. 5, the group visited Robb Elementary School in Uvalde and learned about the tactics used by marshal’s teams in response to a mass shooting nearly three years ago in which 19 children and two adults lost their lives. 

Just hours after the group’s stop, gunfire rang out inside the KDC/One facility in New Albany, a shooting the marshal’s office would likely have responded to. 

“Initially you don’t know exactly how bad it is,” Black said. “You just wonder how bad and how many people are gonna get impacted by such a heinous crime.” 

Bruce Foster III, 28, is accused of shooting six people, two of whom have died. 

“Our law enforcement community is a tight-knit group,” Black said. “We work hard to establish long-term relationships and, you know, our task force, which we are fortunate enough to be involved and apprehend that individual 12 hours later. That doesn’t happen if we don’t establish these positive relationships between our law enforcement community.” 

Black said the crackdown on illegal crossings remains a top priority, particularly when it comes to individuals who may go on to commit crimes in the communities where they settle.