CAMPBELL COUNTY, Ky. — Campbell County in Northern Kentucky says the county was "incorrectly included" on the list of sanctuary jurisdictions by the Department of Homeland Security.
The federal government recently released its list of sanctuary jurisdictions following an executive order from President Donald Trump, which aims to identify cities and states that do not comply with federal immigration laws.
Campbell County was on that list, although originally misspelled as "Cambell" County.
"This listing is a mistake," said Justin Otto with Campbell County Fiscal Court in a statement responding to our request for comment. "Campbell County does not have any local laws or policies that stop cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. We also don’t have any local ordinances related to immigration. In fact, our Detention Center has a contract with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold detainees, which shows we fully follow federal law."
Despite this, the Center for Immigration Studies labels Campbell County as a sanctuary jurisdiction, referring to a June 2024 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) document that lists the county as a "Limited Cooperation Institution" for ICE's ability to move and house noncitizens from the county jail.
Otto said that the detention center actually has a contract with ICE, demonstrating that they fully follow federal law.
The county has already reached out to ICE to get the listing corrected, citing help from Senator Rand Paul and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Otto said.
WCPO 9 spoke to Campbell County Jailer Jim Daley on Friday.
"I knew it was going to usurp a good part of my day to deal with it," Daley said.
Daley said he doesn't understand why Campbell County is on the list, especially because of its ICE contract.
"We hold inmates for the federal government and have for a very long time," Daley said.
Right now, Daley said they have nearly 70 ICE detainees in the jail. He said they get paid by the government to hold them.
"This helps us defer part of those costs for the citizens that are paying taxes," Daley said.
Campbell County appears on the federal list alongside Warren County in Ohio, which also said its inclusion on the list was "wrong," and Cincinnati, which has previously declared itself a sanctuary city.
Hear more from both Warren and Campbell counties, who say it's a mistake they are on the list, in the video below:
What does it mean to be on the list?
It isn't yet clear. The Department of Homeland Security writes on its website that "Each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with Federal statutes. DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens."
President Trump's executive order says that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget will "identify appropriate Federal funds to sanctuary jurisdictions, including grants and contracts, for suspension or termination, as appropriate."
Immigration lawyer Neil Fleischer sat down with us on Friday. He's said he was surprised to see Campbell and Warren counties on the list.
“I don’t think the list really means anything, except they are trying to put pressure on local municipalities to enforce federal immigration law," Fleischer said.
Fleischer said federal funding could be restricted to the cities and counties listed in the report, but that hasn't been made clear.
He said it's adding to the rising anxiety in these communities.
“Especially the immigrant population, they’re terrified," Fleischer said.
The order goes on to say that any jurisdictions that remain "in distance of Federal law" after being notified, "the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to end these violations and bring such jurisdictions into compliance with the laws of the United States."
