Louisville Reverses Sanctuary City Policy Under DOJ Pressure

Louisville, Kentucky, has reversed its sanctuary city policy and will once again honor 48-hour immigration detainers for inmates after warnings from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that non-compliance risked the loss of hundreds of millions in federal funding. Mayor Craig Greenberg stated that Metro Corrections will return to pre-2017 procedures, allowing federal authorities extra time to take custody of undocumented inmates charged with crimes. The decision follows direct DOJ communication and concerns over possible National Guard intervention and increased ICE raids. Greenberg stressed that local police will not enforce federal immigration laws and that this policy affects fewer than 100 inmates annually. The move followed consultations with immigrant leaders, who were worried about large-scale and potentially violent enforcement if the city remained on the sanctuary list. The change aims to protect both city resources and the local immigrant community from heightened federal actions.