Attorney General Pamela Bondi published a tweet on Tuesday, July 22nd, referring to a major victory that Louisville citizens up until that point hadn’t even heard of. She stated via X that Louisville is dropping its sanctuary city policies as a result of a strong written warning from her office. According to Mayor Craig Greenberg, the warning was received on June 25. Following this tweet, Mayor Greenberg did a press conference, announcing that Louisville Metro Department of Corrections (LMDC) revived a policy that holds those unlawfully present in the US for an extra 48 hours. In doing so, Louisville is the first of the major cities to comply. While Greenberg says we are reverting to the policy we had prior to 2017 as a way to protect our city from ICE raids. The LMDC will return to the previous policy as soon as possible because according to Greenberg “the stakes are too high.”
1 Following the declaration that Cincinnati, Ohio was a sanctuary city in January 2017, then Mayor Greg Fischer felt the pressure to follow suit. During that period, activist groups demonstrated for the expansion of Louisville’s friendly policies towards immigrants. This was while reports circulated that LMPD were assisting ICE agents to find immigrants that were illegally living in the city. It was reported by The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting that local officers assisted ICE agents at least 24 times in the first six months of 2017.
Many of the ordinance proponents pointed out that when local law enforcement helps ICE, victims of domestic violence who are undocumented are afraid to call the police for fear of being deported. On the other side, opponents of the ordinance were concerned about the threats to cut federal funding to cities that do not comply with federal immigration law. Here we are 8 years later worrying about the same things. Unfortunately, it looks like we are giving into the fear mongering tactics by Trump’s current administration.
In the past few months cities have been overrun by ICE. On Thursday, July 12th in Ventura California, Jaime Alanís Garcia fell 30 feet during an ICE raid while at work. He died of his injuries on Saturday, July 14th.2 Many have been abducted from their homes, schools, and work. Family has been separated and people are dying while in custody. ICE raids have effected citizens and non-citizens alike as communities are being torn apart.
Greenberg wishes to avoid situations like this happening in our city. He is aligning with the Trump administration in order to save Louisville’s immigrant community from increased ICE raids. He also wants to prevent the loss of federal funding. According to Greenberg, there are fewer than 100 inmates booked into Metro Corrections affected by immigration detainers each year. 3
To be clear, the Louisville Metro Police Department will not participate in immigration enforcement, and LMPD’s focus will remain on public safety and preventing violent crime in Louisville.
Greenberg in a letter to the DOJ
“We have tens of thousands of immigrant families in Louisville. We do not want to see highly coordinated and often violent federal enforcement action here, especially in workplaces, residential areas, schools, places of worship, parks and other areas where law-abiding people gather. We do not want the National Guard occupying the streets of Louisville. I will not risk the safety of our broader immigrant community.”
Mayor Craig Greenberg,
Tuesday, July 22nd
Press Conference
Mayor Greenberg has given into the executive coercion as demonstrated by his decision to reverse Louisville’s place as a sanctuary city. This shift is further evidence of the inherent limitations of bourgeois democracy as it does not resist the attacks on the rights of the people. As fascism continues to formalize its hold on our country, giving into threats of facism will only further erode the morals we claim to have.
The reactions to the change have been mixed. Lisa DeJaco Crutcher, CEO of Catholic Charities of Louisville seemed to agree with the Mayor’s decision. 4
I think it’s really important for people to understand that LMPD is not ICE. That is the danger, we don’t want people to think they shouldn’t call the police when there’s a criminal situation happening and they need help.
DeJaco Crutcher, CEO of Catholic Charities of Louisville
The problem with this statement is that it doesn’t take into consideration the problems communities in Louisville have with LMPD. Our immigrant communities live in neighborhoods with a towering police presence. Immigrants are at a greater risk of police violence, especially if they are a person of color. There is already fear of the police, thanks to police violence and the deaths that have occurred in our correctional facility. We, as a city, must do better and we must acknowledge the fears within communities regarding police, ICE, and the failure of our justice system. Ignoring that doesn’t help Louisville residents feel better about this policy change.
ACLU of Kentucky Executive Director Amber Duke condemned the decision. She made a statement in writing saying she believed that the new police will cause further overcrowding at Metro Corrections. It will also fray the trust between local law enforcement and the immigrant community in Louisville.
The ACLU of Kentucky strongly condemns Mayor Craig Greenberg’s decision to reinstate 48-hour immigration detainers, which have not been enforced since Louisville Metro Council passed the 2017 ordinance. This move not only undermines the trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, but it will also further exacerbate the overcrowding and understaffing issues at Louisville Metro Department of Corrections that have led to more than 20 deaths in the past three years.
ACLY of Kentucky Executive Director Amber Duke
It sets a dangerous precedent to concede to Trump and align with his administration. His actions and the actions of ICE have put immigrant communities across the US in danger. With or without the policy our cities are endanger of being ripped apart. The DOJ, Trump, and the entirety of his administration should not bring out the worst in our cities. In complying with his administration we have allowed them to take control of our city in a way that causes increased fear among our citizens.
Prior to Greenberg’s decision, Louisville was the only city in Kentucky that did not comply with the 48 hour rule. In 2017, during Trump’s first term an ordinance was crafted that barred Louisville Metro Government public safety officers from working with ICE. There was one exception. When a judicially authorized warrant exists or there is an articulated risk of violence or danger to the public.5 This ordinance will be scraped as soon as possible according to Greenberg, but will this lead to public safety or will it just put more people in danger?
As Louisville residents, we continue to worry for our communities. We worry that our immigrant neighbors will have their homes invaded and their families ripped apart by ICE. These fears are valid and this change in police does not take that fear away. Those that call Louisville home deserve to feel safe here. Their legal status does not change that.
- https://www.vickerstafflaw.com/blog/2017/11/the_ongoing_battle_over_louisville_sanctuary_city_status/
- https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2025/07/22/lmdc-immigration-detainers-louisville-kentucky/85322959007/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZpJqmkszr4
- https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-07-22/louisville-mayor-reverses-immigration-policy-after-doj-threat
- https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2025/02/14/louisville-area-police-policies-on-cooperation-with-ice-officers/78474283007/
LOUISVILLE CPUSA 
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