Louisville is not changing any of its policies on federal immigration enforcement, for now.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a list of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions on its website Thursday night, saying these cities, counties and states “undermine the rule of law” and “endanger the lives of Americans.” Four Kentucky municipalities were included on the list, first reported by WDRB, including Louisville and Franklin, Campbell and Scott Counties.
DHS compiled the list in response to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump last month. As part of the order, these jurisdictions risk having federal funding and grant rescinded.
On Friday, Mayor Craig Greenberg told reporters that he hasn’t received any formal notification outlining why the Trump administration has accused Louisville of being a sanctuary jurisdiction.
“While we await formal clarification from DHS, I want to be very clear: Immigrants are vital to our culture, to our neighborhoods, to our economy, and I am proud that so many immigrants have chosen Louisville as their home,” Greenberg said. “At the same time my position on public safety is clear. For anyone who commits a violent crime, regardless of their immigration status, there will be consequences.”
Greenberg said Louisville’s policies on how city workers and police officers are supposed to interact with immigrants and federal agents has not changed since Metro Council passed an ordinance in 2017.
That legislation prevents LMPD officers from participating in immigration raids unless there’s a threat of violence. And officers cannot arrest people living in the country illegally unless a federal judge has issued a criminal warrant. Employees of Louisville Metro are also barred from asking people their immigration status unless it's necessary for the service they’re trying to access.
A 2018 review of policies by the first Trump administration found Louisville was not a sanctuary city and it was in compliance with federal law.
Greenberg said the city doesn’t plan to deviate from its existing policies until it receives further clarification on what’s changed.
“We’re waiting to get the letter from the Department of Homeland Security to know why we’re on the list, what the ramifications might be and, at that time, we’ll make a decision on what changes are appropriate,” he said.
The Trump administration has provided little information on how it determined which local governments are sanctuary jurisdictions. The list from DHS includes a vague explanation of the factors they considered, including “compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens.”
DHS noted that the list can be changed at any time and warned anyone from acting on the information “without conducting their own evaluation.”
Greenberg said he’s concerned about the threats to federal grants, which fund critical services for residents. There are currently about $100 million in pending infrastructure projects in Louisville being funded by the federal government, like the “Reimagine 9th Street” project.
Louisville also receives federal funding for public health projects and low-income housing.
