Louisville will no longer be classified as a sanctuary city, following a policy reversal by Mayor Craig Greenberg under mounting federal pressure and threats to critical funding.
Greenberg said during a press conference on Tuesday that Louisville Metro Corrections will start honoring 48-hour immigration detainers again. This is a protocol that was in place before 2017 and gives federal immigration officials two days’ notice before certain undocumented inmates are freed. The city only gave 5 to 12 hours’ notice till today.
Greenberg stressed that “this issue does not change anything about LMPD policy or practice,” he said. “LMPD is not involved in enforcing federal immigration policy. This is about inmates who have committed crimes and are already in our custody.”
Greenberg said the change was made because the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter saying that Louisville’s jail policies were not in line with federal law. The Department of Homeland Security also put the city on a list of over 500 “sanctuary jurisdictions.” Greenberg said that being on that list may lead to large-scale ICE raids and put hundreds of millions of dollars in government grant money for housing, food and medical help at risk.
“We do not want to see highly coordinated and often violent federal enforcement action here,” Greenberg said, referencing recent mass ICE raids in cities like Los Angeles. “We will best protect our immigrant community by focusing enforcement on individuals already in our jail, not in neighborhoods, schools, or places of worship.”
However, the change in policy has angered local immigration advocates and members of Greenberg’s own International Advisory Council (MIAC), who allege they weren’t involved in the decision-making process.
Jose Donis, an MIAC member and board member of LUCE KY, said he learnt about the change via the news.
“This morning I got surprised because I thought I missed some emails,” Donis said to WAVE News. “We didn’t receive any notice about it.”
The Mayor’s Office stated that “leaders who represent the immigrant communities most impacted” were consulted, but several MIAC members refuted that, saying critical voices—especially from organizations directly serving undocumented immigrants—were excluded.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Trump administration appointment, praised the reversal on social media, casting it as a triumph for federal enforcement.
“This should set an example to other cities,” she posted on X.
“Instead of forcing us to sue you—which we will, without hesitation—follow the law, get rid of sanctuary policies, and work with us to fix the illegal immigration crisis.”
The policy change will go into effect “as soon as practical,” Greenberg added. For many in Louisville’s immigrant neighborhoods, that time can’t come soon enough—or feels much too soon.
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This article appears in Jul 4-31, 2025.