The Bowling Green Police Department is not seeking opportunities to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of President Trump’s mass deportation plans.
According to Data USA, in 2022, 7.09 percent of Bowling Green’s population consisted of foreign-born individuals, up from 7.05 percent in 2021. Bowling Green’s high concentration of immigrants could make it a target for potential crackdowns in Kentucky.
BGPD Public Information Officer Ronnie Ward clarified the department’s relationship with ICE during a Wednesday interview with the Herald.
“Local law enforcement doesn’t have any jurisdiction on federal operations,” Ward said. “We don’t communicate to see what they’re doing. We only communicate for these specific security details,” referring to criminal investigations involving undocumented individuals.
BGPD occasionally enlists the support of ICE to enforce arrest on cases involving human trafficking, Ward said. Concerning the daily operations of ICE, Ward said “We do not try to find out what their objectives are.”
According to an interview with the Immigration Law Center, ICE has held a field office in Bowling Green for many years, with a focus on deporting individuals with criminal records or other serious offenses. While federal officials have consistently deported undocumented criminals for some time, the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations have fueled rumors of widespread ICE raids in Bowling Green’s international community.
Misinformation about ICE detainments quickly spread across social media groups last week. An investigation carried out by International Center of Kentucky Director Albert Mbangu found that immigration officers questioned individuals in Bowling Green on their citizenship status, but made no arrest.
Scot McChain, an immigration Attorney at the Immigration Law Center, disputed reports that ICE had been targeting undocumented individuals near the Walmart on Morgantown Road and businesses near West 12th Avenue but is expecting deportation operations to expand rapidly in the near future.
“That’s not our mission, that’s not our goal,” Ward said when asked about assisting in deportation efforts with ICE officials. “We are not interested in the roundup of folks in our community.”
The police department is hoping to stay uninvolved with federal immigration operations, and is more concerned with protecting and serving Bowling Green, according to Ward.
“We are not going asking for help,” Ward said. “We don’t want to be involved. We don’t have the equipment or authority to be involved.”
When asked what the department would do if ICE reached out for assistance, Ward said that would open up a completely different conversation.
“I think everyone’s wondering what’s next,” Ward said. “I don’t know what the next step is.”
Earlier Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear said ICE had not requested assistance from Kentucky on immigration crackdowns during his weekly Team Kentucky press conference.
“We must enforce our immigration laws, but also understanding that many of these people are fleeing violence and oppression, and we ought to be recognizing that while enforcing our immigration laws,” Beshear said.
Staff Photographer Von Smith can be reached at von.smith677@topper.wku.edu.