The Lexington Herald-Leader reports federal authorities acting under Trump orders arrested a man on Monday following his appearance on a state court charge in Madison County.
The arrest of an individual already charged is in line with how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has traditionally operated in the state. In Lexington, Mayor Linda Gorton says ICE has had a desk inside the city's jails for years, and inmates have been vetted by the agency. She says she's aware of only two inmates in the last three years who have been of interest to ICE.
"What that says is we don't have violent criminals here who are undocumented, and that's a good thing for Lexington. My sense is they're focusing on other places, and we want people to be calm," Gorton tells WUKY. "We don't know of any activity here."
On the state level, Jeremy Bacon with ICE addressed a question about whether there is enough personnel and resources to undertake mass enforcement efforts during a hearing in Frankfort late last year. Without a presidential order at the time, Bacon kept his response brief.
"I can tell you that there were limited manpower wise, and I don't see that changing anytime soon," he said.
But reports of hundreds of arrests in the first week of Trump's presidency signal changes — the extent of which is uncertain at this point.
While the administration has vowed to focus on detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes, NBC News reports the latest numbers are casting some doubt on that promise.
Data obtained by the network showed at least 566 people arrested nationwide on Sunday had "not committed any crimes and were only detained because they lacked legal authorization to remain in the United States."
