Lexington is not a sanctuary city. Kentucky enacted anti-sanctuary legislation requiring local jurisdictions to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, and LFUCG complies with ICE detainers and information-sharing requests through Fayette County Detention Center.
Kentucky's 2025 anti-sanctuary statute requires cities, counties, and law enforcement agencies to honor federal immigration detainers and prohibits policies restricting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government has not declared itself a sanctuary jurisdiction, and the Fayette County Detention Center honors ICE detainer requests. Lexington Police Department does not conduct independent immigration enforcement on the street but does not impede federal cooperation. Withholding cooperation could trigger loss of state grant funding under Kentucky's enforcement provisions.
Local agencies refusing to honor ICE detainers risk loss of state grants, civil penalties, and removal of officials under Kentucky's anti-sanctuary enforcement provisions.
See how Lexington's sanctuary policy preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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