Eight arrests were made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Thursday morning in Henderson, according to Henderson County Sheriff Chip Stauffer.
Stauffer said two Henderson County sheriff’s deputies assisted federal agents, starting at about 5:30 a.m. and ending around 12 noon.
At least three of those arrested and detained are members of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, according to a lawyer with the Diocese of Owensboro.
Holy Name pastor Fr. Richard Meredith said church employees are in communication and trying to help the families.
He described some of the parishioners as prominent and longstanding members of the Spanish-speaking Catholic community at the church.
Stauffer said he did not know where the arrests were made in town or the county. The arrests were described as arrests of public safety and national security threats, Stauffer said.
The sheriff said ICE authorities asked for HCSO’s assistance on Thursday morning, and Stauffer agreed to it as he said he would when any federal partners request help.
Stauffer pointed out that he’s not interested, however, in being a part of a 287(g) program, which allows with local law enforcement agencies to enforce certain federal immigration laws.
The deputies worked alongside four Homeland Security agents and seven Homeland Security task force agents, the sheriff said.
Stauffer did not know where the those arrested would be taken.
Susan Montalvo-Gesser, a lawyer with the Diocese of Owensboro, said there was no logistical way to represent all the people from the diocese held by ICE. She said she did not know where those arrested would be held. They could go to four detention centers in western Kentucky that are working with Homeland Security, or they could be taken to places outside of the state.
She said much of the work she undertakes in assisting parishioners revolves around prevention and teaching people their rights.
Meredith said that this is an example of another crisis occurring now because the nation has not implemented effective laws regarding immigration for years, adding that “we have failed as a self-governing people.”
“This human crisis has been developing for many years,” he said.
He said until lawmakers find both a just and effective solution to immigration, these crises and “a lot of human suffering” will continue.
