Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested nearly 1,300 people in Kentucky during the first half of this year, marking nearly a 40% increase compared to last year. Experts say financial incentives are pushing some local law enforcement agencies to boost arrests. Many of these agencies have signed 287-G agreements, which are contracts with the Department of Homeland Security.
Ashley Spalding, research director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, said some agencies are trying to meet quotas. “The efforts to arrest people are becoming more aggressive,” she said. “So we’re going to see more Kentuckians be arrested for immigration reasons.”
Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security lifted restrictions that had prevented ICE from making arrests in locations such as churches, schools and hospitals. Experts say this change has led to more arrests of people without criminal records. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, over 70% of detained immigrants nationwide had no criminal convictions.
Spalding noted that in Kentucky, 14 local law enforcement agencies have signed 287-G agreements, and nine county jails contract with ICE to house detainees. She expects those numbers to continue rising. “There’s a new local agency that just entered into an agreement this week, and another one is pending in Kentucky,” she added.
A new analysis from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy shows that local jails are the most common locations for ICE arrests in the state, particularly outside Louisville. Most of the people being arrested in Kentucky are from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.
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