Two of Kentucky’s most prominent statewide officials differed on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies during separate national TV appearances Feb. 15.

Before Gov. Andy Beshear criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” which came days after he called for the removal of ICE agents throughout the country, Attorney General Russell Coleman blasted Beshear’s positions in an interview with Fox News.

“My view as the chief law enforcement officer of this commonwealth, someone who’s carried a badge and a gun, someone’s who been a federal prosecutor, (is) that statement that the governor made, it was absurd,” Coleman said.

Coleman’s comments came in response to takes Beshear dished on ABC’s “The View” Feb. 9, in which the governor said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should be fired and ICE “has to be reformed from the top down.” Beshear reiterated his stance when he went on camera again Feb. 15.

“ICE is out of control. They have an American body count,” Beshear said, in reference to the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. “… And their leadership attacks anyone involved in an altercation with ICE as a domestic terrorist before they even know the information. This is a group that thinks they can barge into an American’s home with an administrative warrant. We have to stand up (to ICE), and Democrats should be using their leverage to try to get reform and retraining.”

Beshear’s past comments about ICE have drawn widespread backlash from Republicans, including from ICE officials who fired back on social media. In the days since Beshear first offered his stance, however, Trump administration officials ended an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, where as many as 3,000 agents were stationed. The shootings of Good and Pretti and the detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos during “Operation Metro Surge” sparked protests throughout the country, including in Louisville.

In his interview with Fox News, Coleman said “ICE is a great partner on many fronts” and there are “safer communities every day” because of ICE’s enforcement actions.

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“I would encourage the governor to look around here in the commonwealth, because of the collaboration ― federal, state and local. ICE has been present here, the Department of Homeland Security … is a great partner. They’re out there every day making us safer, going after violent offenders. To eliminate them as a partner would make us less safe,” Coleman said.

The Courier Journal found at least 25 Kentucky law enforcement agencies have partnered with ICE as part of the 287(g) program, which allows allows state and local agencies to perform limited immigration enforcement functions under the oversight of ICE, including making arrests, serving warrants and identifying people without legal documentation who are housed within detention centers.

Courier Journal reporters Keely Doll, Marina Johnson, Katie Muchnick and Caroline Neal contributed. Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@usatodayco.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WKRC) – A Kentucky woman was arrested after federal agents intercepted a package from Poland containing what investigators said were OxyContin pills hidden inside Lego pieces.

Agents with the Department of Homeland Security contacted local police Feb. 5 after seizing a package at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, per WLKY. Court records state the package, addressed to Amber Back, 41, contained 100 OxyContin pills concealed inside Lego pieces, reports WAVE. That package was destined for her home in Mount Sterling.

Police said an officer delivered the package to Back’s address Feb. 6 before detaining her and taking her to the police station for questioning.

During an interview, Back told investigators another woman had arranged for the drugs to be sent to her address and said she was not involved. However, after Back provided the passcode to her phone, Fox 56 reports, investigators said they found messages discussing the sale of pills, including references to selling blue pills.

Police also said messages indicated multiple packages had been delivered to Back’s address over the past year.

Back is charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. She was released from the Montgomery County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 26.

Mount Sterling police said the investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests are possible.

Image credit:
Kentucky SS Tyler Bell (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Kentucky sophomore shortstop Tyler Bell is “out indefinitely” after injuring his left shoulder on Opening Day, a team spokesperson told Baseball America.

Ranked 14th in Baseball America’s Top 200 rankings for the 2026 draft, Bell’s injury was evaluated on Friday night but the team will wait until it returns to Lexington before making further determinations about his timetable for return.

Bell injured his shoulder while attempting to make a diving play in the seventh inning of a 13-2 win over UNC Greensboro. His arm got stuck on the playing surface, according to head coach Nick Mingione.

Bell earned Freshman All-America honors in 2025 after turning down second-round money from the Rays in 2024 to attend school.

The everyday shortstop for Kentucky, Bell hit .296/.385/.522 with 10 home runs and 17 doubles and opened his career with a 27-game on-base streak. He reached base safely in 54 of his first 56 career games. It came as little surprise, then, that his return to Kentucky for his draft-eligible sophomore season was viewed as the most critical offseason roster checkpoint for the Wildcats.

Kentucky has several options to turn to in Bell’s absence, including Indiana transfer Tyler Cerny, infielder Hudson Brown and second baseman Luke Lawrence, though Lawrence was also injured in Friday’s game albeit less seriously.

Unranked to start the season, Kentucky easily could have justified a Top 25 spot, but with the SEC placing 11 teams in the preseason poll, the Wildcats ultimately became another casualty of a brutally crowded cut line.

The Wildcats are set to close out their opening weekend series at UNC Greensboro with a double-header on Saturday before returning to Lexington for their home opener against Morehead State on Tuesday.