Feds: These two KY counties are ‘sanctuary’ counties. They vehemently disagree
Officials with two Kentucky counties listed on a U.S. Department of Homeland Security website as “sanctuary” jurisdictions contested the designation and say they have always cooperated with federal law enforcement on immigration arrests.
On Thursday, the federal department released a list of 500 local governments nationwide deemed too lenient on immigrants or impeding federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.
There is no single definition of a sanctuary city or jurisdiction.
More broadly, sanctuary jurisdictions limit participation in federal enforcement of immigration laws, from sharing names and personal information to not participating in raids.
“These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a Thursday news release.
Due to widespread confusion and pushback from national law enforcement groups, DHS removed the list from its website on Sunday.
Kentucky local jurisdictions on the now-deleted list included: Scott, Kenton, Franklin, Campbell and Jefferson counties. Louisville was listed separately.
DHS also originally misspelled Campbell County when the list was published on Thursday.
Officials in Scott and Campbell counties said Monday they are baffled how their counties got on the list and said they had no communication with homeland security officials prior to the list being published.
“I have never received any correspondence (from) DHS related to the Scott County Detention Center, and I can’t speculate on the inclusion of Scott County on the posting from DHS,” said Scott County Judge Executive Joe Pat Covington.
“The Scott County Fiscal Court has never passed any ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement or shield criminals from ICE,” Covington said. “We fully comply with federal immigration laws and cooperate with federal agencies. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our residents and law enforcement.”
Campbell County officials also said they were shocked when the Northern Kentucky county was deemed a sanctuary jurisdiction.
The listing is a mistake, said Justin Otto, assistant administrator for the Campbell County Fiscal Court.
“Campbell County does not have any local laws, or policies that stop cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. We also don’t have any local ordinances related to immigration,” he said.
“In fact, our Detention Center has a contract with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold detainees, which shows we fully follow federal law.”
Scott and Campbell counties voted for President Donald Trump over Democrat Joe Biden in 2024, election records show. Many elected leaders in Scott and Campbell counties are Republican.
Other cities, law enforcement cry foul over DHS list
Officials of local governments across the country and across the political spectrum also questioned why they were included on the list.
Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley said the city has never been and will never be a sanctuary city and requested removal from the list, citing a “misunderstanding,” according to multiple Las Vegas media reports.
The National Sheriffs’ Association, many of its members who have been supportive of the Trump administration’s efforts to tamp down on people who entered the country illegally, also questioned how DHS developed the list.
“This list was created without any input, criteria of compliance, or a mechanism for how to object to the designation. Sheriffs nationwide have no way to know what they must do or not do to avoid this arbitrary label,” Sheriff Kieran Donahue, president of the sheriffs’ organization, said in a Friday statement.
“The completion and publication of this list has not only violated the core principles of trust, cooperation, and partnership with fellow law enforcement, but it also has the potential to strain the relationship between Sheriffs and the White House administration,” the statement continued.
It’s still not clear if or how federal officials will use the list now that it has been removed from public websites.
Scott and Campbell county officials said Monday that despite removal of the list from the DHS website, they are working with federal authorities to make sure those counties are not listed as sanctuary jurisdictions.
“We are already working hard to fix this error,” Otto said.
“Detention Center staff are in contact with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Senator Rand Paul’s Office is helping, and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office has offered assistance.”
Covington said Scott County officials also have contacted federal authorities to fix what they believe is an error.
“I have confirmed with DHS officials in Louisville today that the report listing Scott County as non-compliant or uncooperative is inaccurate, and they are working to correct the status with DHS in Washington. I want to reaffirm our cooperation with federal authorities,” Covington said in a statement on Friday.
“The Scott County Fiscal Court, Judge Executive, County Attorney, and Jailer all stand firm in upholding the rule of law and protecting our community.”
In April, Trump issued an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Justice and Homeland Security to develop a list in 30 days of jurisdictions that were impeding federal enforcement of immigration laws.
The federal government has said it will withdraw federal funding for so-called sanctuary cities and local governments.
