Much of the focus is on what are called 287(g) agreements, one of which is known as the "task force model," which allows law enforcement officers to be deputized for limited immigration enforcement and includes financial incentives.
Rep. TJ Roberts explained it this way in 2025.
"This is not independent raids. This is if they pull someone over for suppose a DUI, they are called for any other type of case that they are then able upon reasonable suspicion to investigate to whether or not the individuals involved are here legally," he said.
The two other types of 287(g) agreements are the "jail enforcement model," which allows officers to identify people in custody and the "warrant service officer model," which lets officers serve immigration warrants in jail.
And more Kentucky departments are signing on.
A pair of Kentucky bills would have mandated local departments to enter the agreements, but they did not gain traction in 2026.
Still, Ashley Spalding with the left-leaning Kentucky Center for Economic Policy says the number of voluntary agreements are providing a boost to the Trump administration's immigration agenda.
"State and local law enforcement agencies, their participation is really a key part of the administration's mass deportation agenda," she said.
A data reporting tool from KCEP shows ice arrests in Kentucky jumped from 114 in the month President Donald Trump returned to office to more than 440 by July 2026.