Local Pulse: Immigration Arrests, Retail Rush, and Holiday Pet Adoptions in Columbus

Good morning, this is Columbus Local Pulse for Sunday, December twenty first, and we are catching you up on what is happening around our city right now. We start with breaking news from city hall and our neighborhoods. According to ABC 6, federal immigration agents have stepped up enforcement across central Ohio, and ICE confirms two recent arrests here in Columbus, calling those arrested the worst of the worst criminals. City Council President Shannon Hardin, Mayor Andrew Ginther, and Police Chief Elaine Bryant are all stressing that Columbus police do not enforce federal immigration law, but they will respond if officers are in danger. Community groups are planning protests this afternoon near Park Meadow Road in Westerville, and we know many of us are feeling anxious, especially in immigrant neighborhoods from the Hilltop to the North Side. On public safety more broadly, Columbus police report no major overnight shootings, but they are still investigating several serious incidents from earlier in the weekend, including armed robberies near Parsons Avenue and Livingston and a carjacking reported near Cleveland Avenue and Morse Road. Officers say patrols remain heavier in those corridors, and they are asking us to keep porch lights on and cameras working, and to call in anything suspicious rather than confronting people ourselves. Weather wise, we step outside to a cold but fairly quiet Sunday. Forecasters with FOX 28 say our highs stay in the mid 30s today with a mix of sun and clouds, light winds, and dry roads, a good window for last minute errands or a walk along the Scioto Mile. Tonight drops back into the 20s with slick spots possible on bridges, and we warm into the 40s and even low 50s by mid week, which could make it feel more like early spring than late December. Around town, Easton Town Center is still packed with last minute shoppers, and Cam Around Town on FOX 28 stopped by Marin Coffee in Westerville, a new Yemeni inspired cafe serving fruit pastries that have been going viral. Over in Franklinton, more small loft style apartments are hitting the market, with rents starting around fourteen hundred dollars, as developers keep betting on growth near COSI and the new Crew stadium. Local recruiters say warehouse and logistics jobs around Rickenbacker are still hiring, with starting pay near twenty dollars an hour and plenty of overtime as the holiday rush continues. In community news, COSI is running its Membership Mania holiday offer, the Columbus Zoo is drawing crowds to Wildlights, and our arts scene stays busy downtown at the Ohio Theatre and the Short North. On campus, Ohio State celebrates its art department seniors with a show at Urban Arts Space, giving us one more free stop if we head down High Street. In sports, the Columbus Crew have re signed defender Rudy Camacho through the 2026 season, keeping a key veteran in the back line after their recent success. The Blue Jackets continue to lean on goalie Jet Greaves, who is This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.