Samuel Sey, a conservative podcaster and vocal supporter of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, was detained by immigration authorities last week at the Columbus airport, placing a prominent voice from the religious right directly into the nation’s deportation apparatus.
Sey, 39, co-hosts “The Narrative” podcast produced by the Center for Christian Virtue alongside the organization’s director, Aaron Baer. Federal records show that Sey has been held at the Butler County Jail on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold since Oct. 21, though the precise legal mechanics of his detention remain under review.
According to a statement from a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Sey entered the United States legally in 2022 but overstayed his authorized length of admission by more than four years. The agency stated that Sey has no pending applications and accepted voluntary departure, and he will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the country.
It’s never been a question of sympathy. It’s been a question of maintaining the rule of law and national sovereignty.Just spoke to Sam from the detention facility an hour ago, and I can say for both of us, our view of is unchanged by this situation. https://t.co/pAeMGlqCB4
Sey’s online biography describes him as a Ghanaian-Canadian who relocated to Ohio from Toronto, in part to live near his wife Anne’s father. Reached via email by local reporters, Anne Sey did not immediately detail the defense strategy. Baer, a prominent figure in Republican politics, did not return phone inquiries but described the situation on social media as a “paper work issue.” Joel Berry, another figure in conservative media, similarly characterized the matter as a “clerical issue.”
Writings on Immigration and Christian Ethics
Before his detention, Sey frequently addressed immigration enforcement through his personal blog and various conservative outlets, often arguing that strict border enforcement aligns with religious teachings. In a February 2025 blog post, Sey wrote that he was in the middle of an immigration process that he expected to conclude soon, using the essay to argue that mass deportations do not contradict Christian principles.
Earlier this week, our dear brother Samuel Sey @SlowToWrite was en route to appear on our podcast when he got detained by ICE. Samuel is from Canada, and has been living here as a legal resident of the United States. We are confident this clerical mistake will be fixed, but this…
“It’s not unChristian to deport illegal immigrants,” Sey wrote in February 2025. “Christian ethics do not denounce deportations. They demand it. Since illegal immigration is a crime, Christian ethics demand justice. That justice includes deportation.” In the same essay, he noted that if the United States altered its laws in a way that terminated his own residency, the outcome would be “inconvenient – not unjust.”
Following the arrest, Baer defended both Sey and their shared political stance on immigration enforcement. In a social media post, Baer wrote, “Just spoke to Sam from the detention facility an hour ago, and I can say for both of us, our view of [immigration enforcement] is unchanged by this situation.”
The Butler County Facility and Local ICE Enforcement
The Butler County Jail, where Sey is currently housed, is operated by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. The agency is among a select group of local law enforcement bodies in Ohio that maintain formal contracts with ICE to assist with federal deportation operations.
Data compiled by the Ohio Immigration Alliance indicates that more than 3,600 individuals have been processed through the Butler County Jail for deportation during the second term of the Trump administration. The facility’s collaboration with federal immigration authorities has drawn consistent scrutiny from immigration advocacy groups monitoring the scale of local enforcement partnerships.
