The U.S. Department of Justice has officially removed Louisville from its list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” following a recent policy reversal by Mayor Craig Greenberg and the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections (LMDC).
The judgment came after Greenberg reinstated a policy allowing local jail officials to honor federal immigration detainers—detaining people for up to 48 additional hours to give U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) time to take custody. The move is a direct response to a letter from the DOJ in July that said the city’s earlier refusal to keep these people was against federal law.
Greenberg added that the choice was made not merely to avoid possible legal problems, but also to safeguard the city’s larger immigrant community from the threat of aggressive federal enforcement actions.
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“We have tens of thousands of immigrant families in Louisville. We do not want to see highly coordinated and often violent federal enforcement action here, especially in workplaces, residential areas, schools, places of worship, parks and other areas where law-abiding people gather,” Greenberg said. “We do not want the National Guard occupying the streets of Louisville. I will not risk the safety of our broader immigrant community.”
Louisville had been the only city in Kentucky flagged as noncompliant in the DOJ’s original list released in May, alongside four counties: Jefferson, Franklin, Campbell, and Scott. As of the DOJ’s latest update on August 5, none of those jurisdictions remain on the list — a list that has also shrunk significantly nationwide.
In its press release accompanying the updated list, the DOJ specifically highlighted Louisville’s policy change, attributing it to a letter sent by the agency that warned of potential legal action. The department noted that other jurisdictions still listed, including New York City, are now facing lawsuits aimed at forcing compliance with federal immigration laws.
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This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2025.