Sharp words exchanged between backers and critics of immigration bill in KY Senate
Amid criticism of an immigration bill that some say would separate families and increase racial profiling, key backers of the measure, including Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Lexington’s police union, said Thursday it is needed for public safety.
“It’s a public safety measure,” said the sponsor of Senate Bill 1, Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Paducah, at a Capitol news conference.
Carroll claimed there is “a lot of misinformation” about the bill. He said “it is not a statement on immigration by any means. This is a statement on law enforcement in what the law will be within this commonwealth when it comes to law-enforcement’s ability to cooperate.”
With him were his House colleague, Rep. John Blanton, R-Salyersville; Cameron; Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester; and Jason Rothermund, past immediate president and legislative chair of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 4 in Lexington. Rothermund stressed that he was not representing the Lexington police department.
The bill, which the Republican-controlled Senate has designated as its top priority, bans “sanctuary” policies by police or public agencies in the state, requiring them to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
There has been much national debate about sanctuary cities, which limit their cooperation with the national government’s effort to enforce immigration law. There are no Kentucky cities with sanctuary policies, but supporters of SB 1 said they want to make sure that doesn’t change.
The bill was pre-filed last year after Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said “our city only assists ICE when there are arrest warrants issued from a judge, or there is a clear danger to public safety.” She said that policy had been in place for 20 years.
On Wednesday, Lexington spokeswoman Susan Straub struck a different tone in a statement to the Herald-Leader. “We work with our federal partners, who generally have the resources they need,” Straub said. “If they request assistance because of special circumstances, our local police provide it. Our policies have not changed in 20 years.”
SB 1 also would require almost all public employees, excluding those in public schools, to use “their best efforts” to support enforcement of federal immigration law. It would prevent public colleges and universities from enacting, adopting or enforcing any “sanctuary policies,” stopping them from granting “illegal immigrants” the right to a lawful presence or status.
Kate Miller, advocacy director for ACLU of Kentucky, said the Kentucky Senate “has chosen legislation that will separate Kentucky families as their top priority this session.”
She called it “dangerous” and said it “could have sweeping consequences for all Kentuckians if passed.” The immigration system needs to be updated by the federal government, not the state, she said.
“The bill requires law enforcement to blindly carry out requests by federal immigration authorities, turning local control on its head and leaving counties responsible for any constitutional violations,” said Miller. “The bill seeks to use our public agency employees as immigration agents, without any training. Senate Bill 1’s vague and cruel provisions requiring public officials to use their ‘best efforts’ to support immigration enforcement will, undoubtedly, put more Kentuckians at risk of deportation leading to more Kentucky families being temporarily or permanently separated. “
She noted that the definition of public officials the bill uses includes agencies that get at least 25 percent of their funds from the government, which would include employees of some domestic violence and sexual assault centers.
Miller also said SB 1 “will lead to racial profiling and intimidation of black and brown Kentuckians.“
Sen. Reginald Thomas, D-Lexington, agreed. “We have no sanctuary cities. This will cause more racial profiling. So why is this needed? This is a solution in search of a problem,” he said.
Carroll said it is important that federal and state offices work together.
Cameron, the state’s chief law enforcement official, said SB 1 is necessary “to ensure that law enforcement can continue to carry on and carry out their sworn duties to protect and serve.”
Blanton, who worked 22 years for the state police, said the bill is not political. He chided critics who “throw fear-mongering out that this will add to our jail population, will separate families and we are going to go out and round people up. That is either misinformed information or flat-out false information.”
He also said there is language in the bill to prevent racial profiling.
Stivers did not speak at the news conference but in a Senate floor speech later he defended the Senate’s decision to label the measure SB 1.
He said that was done because of “the issue of public safety and drugs.” He referred to news articles about illegal immigrants bringing illegal drugs into the United States.
