A Northern Kentucky Republican is working on a bill that would require all Kentucky police agencies to enter federal agreements for immigration enforcement under a program that has rapidly expanded during the Trump administration.
Rep. TJ Roberts, of Burlington, presented the proposal during a Thursday meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Local Government. He argued that entering such agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would provide Kentucky police agencies with new federal resources and dollars.
However, Democrats on the committee voiced apprehension about requiring local agencies to partner with ICE.
“I think this really gets down to being a local control issue for me,” said Rep. Rachel Roarx (D-Louisville). “Our law enforcement agencies, I think they know their jurisdictions best. They know where their resources need to be allocated.”
Roberts later said that his bill would be “a way to ensure greater senses of community policing, of allowing it to be done and administered by the local level.”
Kentucky’s Republican-controlled General Assembly could consider the bill during the 2026 legislative session, which starts in January.
Roberts called the agreements an “incredible opportunity to provide more resources to our law enforcement community, to promote public safety and to align us with the priorities of the federal government.” He added that local police officers would be “deputized for limited immigration enforcement,” such as during traffic stops when they have “reasonable suspicion” to further investigate the driver’s or passengers’ citizenship or immigration status.
Roberts acknowledged that while some Kentucky law enforcement agencies have entered ICE agreements, he believes “we do not have that in the areas that we need it at.”
According to ICE’s website, 22 law enforcement agencies within Kentucky have an active 287(g) program to date. The agencies include mostly county sheriffs’ departments but also some local jails and a local police department. All of the agreements were signed this year.
Roarx questioned what Roberts meant by not having the agreements “in the areas that need it most.” Roberts said his home region of Northern Kentucky, which has major highways, should have such agreements. He added that “it’s needed everywhere in Kentucky” and not just in the counties with current programs.
“Once they complete that 40 hours of training that is all online, that is paid for by the federal government, these officers are deputized by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement,” Roberts said. “And they can only engage in this limited enforcement while under the supervision of the federal authorities in order to ensure that there is oversight, that there is accountability.”
If approved, Roberts’ proposal would direct the Kentucky State Police and local law enforcement agencies to have a written agreement with ICE under Section 287(g) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. The program is often referred to as the 287(g) Program.
Under such agreements, ICE can delegate “the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions” to state and law enforcement officers, the federal agency’s website says.
ICE expanded the number of agreements by 641% after Republican President Donald Trump took office earlier this year. However, immigrants and their advocates have argued that these agreements can lead to racial profiling and lack oversight.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously announced that law enforcement agencies participating in the 287(g) Program would be eligible for significant reimbursements starting in October. An example of that is that ICE may reimburse an agency for “the annual salary and benefits of each eligible trained 287(g) officer, including overtime coverage up to 25% of the officer’s annual salary.”
Roberts argued the agreements would bring in significant dollars to Kentucky law enforcement agencies. He added that he had been working with legislative liaisons for DHS and ICE on the legislation and it was “one of their top priorities.”
Committee co-chair Rep. Patrick Flannery (R-Olive Hill) emphasized that he viewed the agreements as “an opportunity to potentially utilize resources from the federal government to implement those into our local communities that we serve.”
Democratic lawmakers took issue with the proposal. Rep. Sarah Stalker, of Louisville, said she had “a lot of concern” about deputizing officers for a new jurisdiction, particularly when news reports across the country have highlighted what many see as cruelty and abuse during arrests and mass raids.
“I feel like this would simply exacerbate an issue that is already on its own out of control,” Stalker said.
Before the meeting, advocacy group Kentucky Citizens for Democracy expressed concerns about Roberts’ proposal and encouraged lawmakers to reject the legislation.
“This proposal, which strips local governments of the ability to decide their own level of cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, is fundamentally unacceptable,” the group said in a statement. “Our cities and counties know their communities best. Forcing them into mandatory cooperation with ICE, given its long history of egregious and cruel actions, violence, and overly aggressive tactics, will deepen fear, break trust, and push our immigrant neighbors further into the shadows.”
Interim committees do not vote on bills or proposals that come before them. When the General Assembly reconvenes in January, bills are heard in committees where lawmakers can approve or reject them.
Kentucky law enforcement agencies that have active 287(g) agreements with ICE:
- Bracken County Sheriff’s Office
- Bullitt County Detention Center
- Butler County Sheriff’s Office
- Clinton County Sheriff’s Office
- Daviess County Sheriff’s Office
- Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
- Grayson County Detention Center
- Grayson County Sheriff’s Office
- Heritage Creek Police Department
- Hickman County Sheriff’s Office
- Kenton County Sheriff’s Office
- Lyon County Sheriff’s Office
- Marshall County Sheriff’s Office
- Oldham County Detention Center
- Scott County Sheriff’s Office
- Union County Sheriff’s Office
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Written by McKenna Horsley. Cross-posted from the Kentucky Lantern.
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