(LEX 18) — On Tuesday, Kentucky lawmakers on the Interim State Government Committee heard from the ICE officer who oversees all immigration enforcement operations in Kentucky and southern Indiana.
His overall message to them is that immigration enforcement is a complicated process that deals with each situation on a case-by-case basis.
"ICE's mission is to protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety," said Jeremy Bacon, the assistant field office director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "This mission is executed through the enforcement of more than 400 federal statutes and focuses on smart immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism, and combating the illegal movement of people and goods.
Bacon's testimony comes on the heels of President-elect Donald Trump promising to deport undocumented immigrants through mass deportations once he takes office again.
Bacon did not have deportation numbers specific to Kentucky. But he told lawmakers that 142,580 removals from the U.S. were conducted in fiscal year 2023.
Bacon explained that Kentucky has 27 law enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws. They primarily find undocumented people through Kentucky's jails due to partnerships with local law enforcement.
"Most of the time, here in Kentucky, the folks that we are attempting to target are all people that have been arrested within our local systems already as an active public safety threat," said Bacon.
"Anyone that’s foreign-born that goes into any jail in Kentucky, we’re attempting to screen and see if there are any laws that are amenable with them," Bacon added. "Sometimes people who have status here are also subject to removal or removal proceedings based on the criminality of which they’ve been convicted for.”
Rep. Adrielle Camuel, (D)-Lexington, pressed Bacon on what Trump's mass deportations would look like in Kentucky. However, he said he does not have any policy to comment on at this point.
"[Trump's] focusing on mass deportations on day one without limitation or focus on criminals who pose a threat," said Camuel. "What would that process require as far as identification, arrest, detention, and removal? Do the Immigration and Homeland Security agencies currently have enough individuals - enough staff and personnel and resources - to do mass enforcement and mass deportation?"
"Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to comment on the first question. There's no policy in place yet - no way I could give a definitive answer when I don't have the information," answered Bacon. "I can tell you that we're limited man-power-wise, and I don't see that changing anytime soon."
