New data show that arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Kentucky are increasing and are expected to continue rising.
ICE agents are pictured during “Operation Cross Check,” an initiative the agency says targets the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
Between January and October of last year, nearly 2,000 people in Kentucky were arrested by ICE, according to recently released figures. Most of these arrests took place in jails or prisons, though about 25% occurred at workplaces, private homes, or public locations.
Ashley Spalding, a senior fellow at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, which reviewed the data, said the detained population has grown significantly. She also noted that many local jails are now leasing bed space to ICE.
“On average, the number of ICE detainees is at a historic high,” Spalding said. “We’re seeing these trends play out in Kentucky, and there’s no indication they’re slowing down.”
A recent Reuters-Ipsos poll found that nearly 60% of Americans believe federal immigration enforcement tactics have gone too far. Meanwhile, 12% said the actions have not gone far enough, and 26% felt current operations were “about right.” This week, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called for the retraining of all federal immigration officers following the killing of two Minneapolis residents by immigration agents.
Spalding added that during the Trump administration’s push for mass deportations, some Kentucky lawmakers have introduced House Bill 47. The proposal would remove local authority over whether to cooperate with ICE.
“We’re also seeing bills introduced in our legislature that would require state and local participation in these ICE partnerships,” Spalding said.
Across Kentucky, nearly two dozen local law enforcement agencies have already entered into agreements with ICE. Supporters of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown argue that stricter enforcement is necessary to improve public safety and reduce fraud in federal assistance programs such as Medicaid and SNAP.
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