Oldham County Detention Center is among several Kentucky jails and law enforcement agencies with formal agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Photo provided by Oldham County Detention Center.
A Kentucky jail violated the state’s Open Records Act by withholding billing and other details about its relationship with federal immigration agencies, according to a ruling by the state attorney general.
In an April 3 opinion, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office determined that the Oldham County Detention Center acted improperly when it withheld contracts, billing records, and other information related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky.
The ACLU had requested records connected to U.S. Marshals Service and ICE contracts, billing data, annual inspection reports, grievances, and details about how mail for ICE detainees is handled.
The opinion found that the detention center incorrectly relied on a federal regulation to deny most parts of the ACLU’s request. The regulation states, in part: “No … state or local government entity … that houses, maintains, provides services to, or otherwise holds any detainee on behalf of the Service … shall disclose or otherwise permit to be made public the name of, or other information relating to, such detainee.”
However, the ruling clarified that the regulation applies only to information about individual detainees.
“Thus, the regulation applies only to records related to detainees of the service; it does not exempt records solely related to the administration of a facility,” Coleman’s office stated.
The ACLU welcomed the decision, emphasizing the public’s right to understand how local jails operate and the conditions within them.
“We appreciate the Attorney General’s opinion on Kentucky’s Open Records Act as it pertains to county jails housing ICE detainees,” said Bethany Baxter, staff attorney for the ACLU of Kentucky. “The public has a right to know what’s happening in local jails, particularly when they are operating outside the scope of their usual procedures. Transparency within the justice system is necessary for public trust.”
The opinion noted that some documents—such as daily counts of ICE detainees—could be withheld if they include identifying details. However, other materials, like the facility’s mail policies for detainees, do not contain personal information and should be disclosed.
Oldham County Jailer Jeff Tindall did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The county has 30 days to appeal the attorney general’s decision.
Several Kentucky Jails Deny ICE Billing Records Requests
Oldham County Detention Center is one of multiple facilities contracted to house ICE detainees.
The Lexington Herald-Leader submitted similar Open Records Act requests to seven county jails seeking billing or monthly invoice details related to ICE detainees.
Four counties—Oldham, Hopkins, Grayson, and Daviess—declined to provide the requested information. These facilities cited the same federal regulation concerning detainee identity protection as justification for withholding billing data.
The newspaper has not yet appealed those denials.
However, three counties—Boone, Kenton, and Campbell—did provide billing records. According to those documents, the jails billed ICE more than $10.5 million in 2025. All identifying information about detainees was removed or redacted in the responses.
Boone, Kenton, and Campbell county jails receive $88 per day for each ICE detainee, based on federal contracts from Northern Kentucky.
This rate significantly exceeds what the state pays county jails to house state inmates, which stands at $35 per day, according to state records.
Additionally, counties can earn revenue by transporting ICE detainees. These transportation contracts are highly profitable, paying $43 per hour.
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