Sarafinah Bukirwa has, quite unwillingly, become a symbol of the inhumanity surrounding this nation’s brutal and despicable maltreatment of the undocumented immigrant population.
The arrest of Bukirwa and other immigrants seeking asylum or a better life in the United States at the hands of the federal government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, universally known as ICE, an infamous neo-Stasi paramilitary group, and the participation of collaborators like the reported 14 county jails in Kentucky that hold ICE detainees – for a price likened to blood money — gives lie to the Trump administration’s claim it is only seeking out the criminal element within the undocumented community.
Bukirwa’s story is being played out thousands of times a week. In fact, the circumstances around her tribulations, though frightful, are bush league compared to some of the antics involving ICE, which serves as President-cum-Dictator Donald J. Trump’s own secret police force, operating with little, if any accountability.
According to Human Rights Watch: “In the 500 days between President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025 and June 4, 2026, 52 people died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in the United States. The mortality rate of deaths in ICE custody is at its highest level in over a decade and has more than doubled since Trump’s second term began. The rate is nearly four times that of the Biden administration, and more than two and a half times as high as that of the first Trump administration.’’
Considering all that, Bukirwa may have been fortunate to escape with her life. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, has characterized ICE officers as “honest to god stormtroopers — masked, armed agents kidnapping people off the street, murdering U.S. citizens, separating families, and detaining children.’’
All true.
People like Bukirwa, a 31-year-old nursing student from Uganda currently residing in Louisville, are among those ICE is targeting. Bukirwa suffers from sickle-cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that can result in severe and painful health complications. She is an activist on the issue, serving as executive director of the Sarafina Sickle Cell Society, an organization founded in Uganda that addresses the disease through community outreach, screening and medical support.
Bukirwa entered the country legally to broaden the scope of her organization. On July 22, while attempting to board a plane at the Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville headed for Las Vegas to attend a sickle cell anemia conference. Bukirwa was arrested by ICE agents for overstaying her visa and transported to the Grayson County Jail with a contingent of those similarly situated.
As noted by McGarvey in a letter to ICE dated July 29, “This detention is particularly troubling because Ms. Bukirwa entered the United States legally, has a valid work authorization, and a pending asylum claim. Furthermore, based on the information reviewed by my team, as well as the information made available to Ms. Bukirwa’s attorney, there are no criminal charges pending or resolved against Ms. Bukirwa.’’
Bukirwa later said she and other arrestees were confined to the back of a van without air conditioning during the transport to Grayson County, during July, traditionally the hottest month of the year. While agents stopped and enjoyed refreshments, Bukirwa and the others were denied any sort of relief. During her time in Leitchfield, Burkirwa said, she was denied access to all of the medications she maintained to address her sickle cell anemia, a depravation resulting in physical problems.
“Our office has received reports that, upon arrival at the Grayson County Jail, Ms. Bukirwa was denied medication for her sickle cell disease,’’ McGarvey said in his letter. “We have also been told Ms. Bukirwa was hit by officers, and was stripped of her hijab and all clothes in the presence of male officers.’’
Bukirwa was finally released on $1,500 bond by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady on July 31, nine days after she was detained, and received hospital treatment for her sickle cell anemia condition. Officials at the Grayson County Jail assert she was not denied access to her medication during her stay.
There are questions about why she was arrested in the first place and then detained for nine days. Her visa lapsed but she has applied for asylum. According to the law firm of Bartell, Georgalas & Juarez, based in Ohio but with an office in Louisville that handles immigration cases, undocumented immigrants maintain some protection from removal while their asylum case is under review.
“Generally, the government cannot send you back to your home country while your asylum claim is being decided. The law requires that you receive a fair hearing before any final removal actions occur,’’ according to the firm.
Since Bukirwa is seeking asylum and has a work permit, there was no reason to detain her, other than contempt. The situation bothered ICE not one bit. In a statement to the Lexington Herald-Leader, ICE said Bukirwa overstayed her visa after it expired in 2024 and “this administration is not going to ignore the rule of law.’’
Now, with all due respect, which doesn’t result in a whole lot, does ICE really want to make a “rule of law’’ argument? It has consistently violated the 4th Amendment protection against reasonable searches, relied on administrative warrants as opposed to those signed by a judge. The agency has, among other things, moved detainees to skirt a judge’s jurisdiction and deported detainees in violation of judicial rulings.
“ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence,” U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz, wrote in one opinion involving ICE.
And, oh, did we mentioned ICE has literally killed some of the undocumented immigrants? And protesters?
“Being in detention is a choice,’’ the ICE statement read, a claim that likely would be news to Bukirwa. It added, “The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
Nothing about those seeking asylum.
And ICE is receiving help, at least in Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Economic Policy Center, 11 county jails in the Bluegrass contracted with ICE to hold undocumented immigrant detainees. The number at the time was well over a thousand and growing.
Northern Kentucky is particularly happy to house these folks, with Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties accepting and housing folks detained by ICE.
And it does bring in the dough. Kenton, Campbell and Boone billed ICE for a combined $10.5 million in 2025, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, and you just know it’s still rolling in. Louisville Public Media reported that the number of detainees in ICE-contracted Kentucky jails increased by 659 percent from January to August 2025, with nine county jails holding over 900 detainees at one point.
The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy also reported that 24 local law enfordement agencies in the state Kentucky have signed agreements with ICE, allowing them to arrest and transfer individuals to federal custody without a warrant.
It should be noted that local law enforcement agencies are not obligated under federal law to support ICE. Any participation is voluntary. So these counties are reaping big paydays on the backs of poor undocumented immigrants.
That’s blood money.
This country has a lot to be proud of. This ain’t one of them. Shame on us all.