FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — State Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, says the United States should not tolerate illegal immigration.
“Illegal immigration—these are people that just jump line, and nobody wants to be standing in line at the theater and have ten people jump in front of them and get to see the movie,” Wheeler told FOX 56.
That belief led him to introduce Senate Bill 86, which would require the Kentucky State Police and local law enforcement agencies to enter into formal agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the federal 287(g) program.
Just days after being introduced in Frankfort, the proposal quickly sparked controversy.
“This is, I think, a response on the local level to assist our federal partners in enforcing these laws,” Wheeler said.
He told FOX 56 the bill is designed to improve safety for law enforcement officers, ICE agents, and the public.
“It makes it a whole lot safer for that individual as well as for people in the community if the local law enforcement agencies cooperate with ICE and their duties to get these people safely removed out of the country, back to where they belong,” Wheeler said.
According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, the 287(g) program allows ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement functions to state and local law enforcement agencies under ICE supervision. Currently, 27 agencies in Kentucky participate in the program.
Gov. Andy Beshear, however, has criticized proposals that mandate cooperation between law enforcement and ICE. During a Team Kentucky address last week, he warned such measures could reduce public safety.
“Those officers don’t have the specific training in immigration law, which is very different than other laws,” Beshear said. “Immigration law isn’t about seeing somebody that looks like they might not be from the United States and throwing them in handcuffs. That’s not who we are as people, and that’s not what immigration law allows.”
A similar proposal, House Bill 47, was introduced by Rep. T.J. Roberts. While it closely mirrors SB 86, the House version requires officers to complete an additional 40 hours of ICE-approved training.
Wheeler said he is open to merging the two bills, depending on which one advances first.
“They had some legitimate concerns about putting additional training hours on top of what they already have to take,” Wheeler said. “T.J.’s bill takes care of that concern. So, I’m more than happy to incorporate that language into my bill if it ends up being the one that moves first and into the House.”
Both Senate Bill 86 and House Bill 47 remain in the early stages of the legislative process and must clear committee review before moving to a full floor vote.
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