ICE responds after Gov. Andy Beshear calls for agency reforms during national TV interview

FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — A social media post from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is drawing attention after the agency responded to comments made by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear during a recent national television appearance.

In a post Tuesday on its official X account, ICE wrote that it would “continue to ‘withdraw’ criminal aliens from Kentucky regardless of your rhetoric, Governor,” referencing remarks Beshear made Monday on ABC’s “The View.”

Beshear calls for reform during interview

During his appearance on the daytime talk show, Beshear criticized ICE operations and said he believes the agency needs significant reform.

“You don’t see with any other law enforcement group anywhere the idea that you don’t need a judicial warrant to storm into the home of an American — that is just wrong,” Beshear said during the interview. “We’ve got to make sure that this organization, in the way that it acts, is going to respect all of our rights.”

The governor also claimed Americans have died because of ICE’s actions and suggested the agency should pause operations while changes are made.

“That should be enough to say we’re going to take a pause. We’re going to pull everybody back and we’re going to try to get it right,” he said.

Beshear additionally called for Kristi Noem to be removed from her position as head of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE responds on social media

The agency’s response came through its official X account Tuesday afternoon, appearing to push back against the governor’s criticism and signaling that enforcement operations in Kentucky will continue.

The post included a clip of Beshear’s interview and a statement emphasizing the agency’s ongoing immigration enforcement efforts.

Neither ICE nor the governor’s office has announced any additional policy changes related to the exchange.

Ongoing political debate

The back-and-forth highlights the ongoing national debate surrounding immigration enforcement and federal authority. While immigration policy is primarily handled at the federal level, governors and local leaders have increasingly weighed in on how federal agencies operate within their states.

ABC 36 News Now contacted the governor’s office for a response to the ICE social media post. We have not yet heard back.