In a major reversal that underscores the Trump administration’s growing influence on immigration policy, the Democratic mayor of Louisville reportedly announced on Tuesday that the city will begin honoring federal immigration detainers — effectively abandoning its previous sanctuary city designation.
Mayor Craig Greenberg, once seen as a progressive stalwart on immigration issues, stated that the city would now comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 48-hour detainer requests.
The move follows an assertive push from the Trump Justice Department, which warned that continued noncompliance with federal law could result in devastating consequences for the city — including the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants.
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“I have been assured by the U.S. Department of Justice that, if we reinstate the 48-hour detainers for inmates who’ve been arrested for crimes, Louisville will be taken off the federal sanctuary city list,” Greenberg said in a press release.
“Metro Corrections will begin honoring 48-hour federal detainers as soon as practical because the stakes are too high,” he continued. “In turn, Louisville will no longer be considered a ‘sanctuary city’ by the federal government.”
The decision is a significant victory for the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda and a rebuke to the left-wing orthodoxy that has long dominated urban governance.
Sanctuary policies, often celebrated by progressive politicians, limit cooperation between local authorities and ICE, resulting in dangerous criminals being released back into communities.
Trump officials have argued that such policies undermine public safety and erode the rule of law — and now, even some Democrats appear to be acknowledging the consequences.
“There’s no official definition of a ‘sanctuary city,’” Greenberg admitted, “but those jurisdictions refusing to honor ICE detainers or failing to notify federal agents of pending releases have faced escalating federal pressure — and, in many cases, sweeping immigration raids.”
The mayor’s about-face brings Louisville back in line with Kentucky’s Department of Corrections, which already honors the 48-hour detainer standard.
The policy was also Louisville’s norm until 2017, when the city chose to embrace sanctuary policies amid broader liberal opposition to President Trump’s first term.
That opposition now appears to have met its limit.
“This change in designation is critical,” Greenberg said, pointing to ICE’s stepped-up enforcement. “Cities on the sanctuary city list right now are experiencing a terrifying increase in raids by ICE, including mass raids.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, a key enforcer of Trump’s immigration crackdown, hailed the announcement as a model for other defiant cities.
“In a major victory for the Department of Justice, the city of Louisville is dropping its sanctuary city policies as a result of a strong written warning from my office,” Bondi said Tuesday.
“This should set an example to other cities,” she continued. “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 Trump administration has been unflinching in its efforts to restore immigration law enforcement, publishing in May a comprehensive list of sanctuary jurisdictions and issuing formal demands for compliance.
The pressure campaign appears to be working — one city at a time.
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