After a review, the Department of Justice has found that the newly enacted Separation Ordinance in Louisville Metro complies with federal law. Metro Council members were given the news on Sunday by the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office.
Metro Council President David James said they were confident they were handling a public safety issue and never intended to hinder federal immigration enforcement. He added that they can now move forward.
The decision is considered a big win for Louisville following the Department of Justice’s threat to come down on them because of the immigration ordinance in early 2018. Councilman Brandon Coan said that police in Louisville do not enforce immigration law and that there is no discrimination based on immigration status in the City of Louisville. He added that Louisville is for everyone and that the police are only there to enforce criminal law.
The ordinance was passed last October, with guidelines set for the way in which local agencies such as police officers should work with federal immigration officials. Louisville public service officials can only work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they have a warrant that has been signed by a judge requiring them to do so or if the situation is believed to present a clear danger to the general public in the opinion of ICE.
The ordinance sets guidelines for police officers and all other metro employees that ban them from asking people about their immigration status.