The clinic operates a local hotline in Lexington to help verify sightings of ICE.
The post shows two men wearing ICE police vests on top of plain clothes looking into a car. It also says that ICE is no longer in the area and that the arrest was isolated, not part of a larger raid.
Lexington immigration attorney Heather Hadi, who operates her own private practice, said most immigration arrests in Kentucky are based on prior orders of removal.
“Generally ICE, especially in Lexington, they are not going to be randomly going to places here. We don't have a high immigrant population here compared to other big cities,” she said.
Hadi said she has seen people get detained after being stopped for other crimes, specifically DUIs.
“When you are drinking and driving, that causes a very big problem, not only for yourself. If you are somebody who's undocumented or out of status, you have a lot more to lose than a US citizen who might get stopped or pulled over or arrested,” she said.
A statement from Lexington city spokesperson Susan Straub said the federal agency normally does not inform the city on actions they plan to take, or have taken. Lexington officials followed up on the arrest and learned it involved someone with an outstanding civil detainer, meaning they had been previously convicted of a crime.
Hadi said she has seen many interactions with immigration enforcement happen during traffic stops. ICE agents have also gone door-to-door in larger cities, though Hadi says that’s very unlikely in Kentucky.
“In either one of those scenarios, you have to ask, ‘Am I currently being detained? Am I free to leave?’ Those are those should be the first questions out of your mouth. And then, second of all, if you're in a home or if you're in a closed location, they need to have a warrant,” she said.
Hadi says to have at least one phone number memorized and to create a preparedness plan in case of emergencies. She also recommends keeping a document explaining your rights on hand.
Neighbors Immigration Clinic’s ICE sighting hotline can be called at 859-287-4316.
