Nearly 60 Kentucky police and sheriff's agencies have now signed on to help ICE

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 10) — The number of Kentucky law enforcement agencies working directly with federal immigration authorities has more than tripled this year, according to an analysis by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, published by Louisville Public Media.

As of Nov. 4, federal data published by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lists 34 sheriff's offices, 22 police departments and three county jails in Kentucky taking part in the 287(g) program, which hands some immigration enforcement powers to state and local officers. At the end of 2025, the count was 17.

Nearly all of the Kentucky agencies signed up for the task force model, which lets local officers detain immigrants for ICE during everyday policing. The Obama administration ended that model in 2012 over concerns that it encouraged racial profiling, and the Trump administration brought it back last year.

The sign-ups have come steadily. At least two Kentucky agencies joined every month from January through October, while there were five months in 2025 when none did, KyCIR found. Many are in rural counties and small towns. Police and sheriff's offices in Louisville, Lexington and Bowling Green are not in the program, and unlike state police in Indiana, Missouri and West Virginia, Kentucky State Police hasn't joined.

Local officers are also making a growing share of ICE arrests in the state. In June, 287(g) arrests made up 18% of ICE arrests in Kentucky, a record under the current administration, according to KyCIR.

The federal government now offers money to agencies that join, including help with equipment and vehicles, partial coverage of officer salaries and performance bonuses tied to how much they assist ICE. On its website, ICE says the program helps it arrest and remove people who threaten public safety and the integrity of immigration law.

Critics told KyCIR the agreements make immigrants afraid to call police. Kelly Young of the Oldham County group Kentucky Citizens for Democracy asked whether "an ordinary encounter with a deputy now" feels threatening. KyCIR said it reached out to several sheriffs and police chiefs whose agencies joined this year and did not hear back.