Trump vows to abolish sanctuary cities amid Louisville ICE policy scrutiny

President Donald Trump has pledged to abolish sanctuary cities across the United States, labeling them as jurisdictions that protect criminals and serve as the primary obstacle to federal immigration enforcement. During a speech in New York, Trump criticized local leaders for opposing his administration's border and crime policies and called for an end to cashless bail.

In Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg’s decision to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has come under scrutiny. Last year, Greenberg agreed to honor ICE detainers—requests to hold individuals in local jails past their release dates—to avoid federal funding cuts. While Greenberg initially estimated this policy would affect fewer than 100 people annually, data from the Deportation Data Project shows that over 300 people were subjected to detainers in the seven months following the policy change in July 2025.

The ACLU of Kentucky is now calling on the mayor to reverse the decision, noting that the actual impact has significantly exceeded his original projections.