Cleveland Public Library director tells staffers not to intervene in ICE arrests

What they're saying: "Action taken to intervene in an arrest or to assist someone in evading arrest could be viewed by law enforcement as obstruction of justice or harboring an undocumented immigrant, both of which are serious criminal offenses," CEO and executive director Felton Thomas wrote in a memo Axios obtained via public records request.

Zoom in: He said it was highly unlikely ICE would target CPL employees, as staffers' legal work status was vetted in the hiring process, but "public libraries are public places."

• "ICE agents ... have the legal right to enter public portions of libraries to take a library patron into custody."

Yes, but: Ohio statute requires that certain personal information and library records of patrons be kept confidential, and that still applies.

• If ICE agents request the name, address, date of birth or other personal information contained in CPL's system, Thomas' memo advised staffers to inform agents they are required to consult with the library's legal counsel.

The big picture: CPL's chief strategy officer, Tana Peckham, tells Axios that CPL has received no information from ICE or elsewhere suggesting that agents would be targeting branches.

• "We made the decision to proactively provide CPL staff with guidance to address this issue, which has been at the forefront of many people's minds," she wrote in an email.