LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Wednesday's drive to school started like any other for Julieta Carmona Garcia.

The Cochrane Elementary fifth grader said she sat up front, with her 7-year-old sister Dulce in the back and their father, Ernesto Carmona Torres, behind the wheel.

"My sister was talking with my dad, when we were talking, that thing happened," Julieta said.

One stop sign from the school, at the intersection of Tregaron Avenue and Swing Drive, a day like any other became one like none other.

"They passed in the car in front and back of my dad...they blocked my car in," the 10-year-old recalled. "My dad said 'What is happening?' I asked 'Who is that people?' I asked my dad and my dad said the immigration, and I was so scared. I thought that I would never live here and never see my dad. Never."

Court records show ICE booked Ernesto Carmona Torres, 37, into the Oldham County Jail on an ice detainer. As rumors swirled online about ICE at Cochrane Elementary, Jefferson County Public Schools sent a letter to families that said law enforcement was never in the school.

December 3, 2025

Dear Cochrane Elementary School families,

I’m writing to address concerns we’re hearing from families and community members because of an erroneous post on social media.

Today, law enforcement pulled over a driver for something not connected to our school. The person involved parked the car on our property so it was not left on the street. The car is no longer on our property.

Law enforcement was never in our school.

We know social media rumors can cause concern. If you feel your student would benefit from talking with someone, our mental health team is always available.

Please know, if there is ever a situation that impacts our school community, I will let you know. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the school office. Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff.

Sincerely,

Beth Fuller

Principal

If an ICE agent or any government official goes to a JCPS campus, the district has a standing policy. It requires office staff to get the principal and call the district's police department to send an officer. The principal is expected to verify the official's credentials, ask for the purpose of the visit and share that information with JCPS attorneys, who will provide next steps.

Julieta said the agents didn't go to the front door of the school, but they did drive her the rest of the way to the campus — in her father's vehicle.

In the letter, JCPS said the vehicle was left in the parking lot. A family friend later picked up the girls and the car from the school.

"There is just tremendous fear right now. The system is chaotic. The law changes almost on a daily basis and so people are terrified of being detained and put into this system and we, as practitioners, are doing our best to help people." Louisville Immigration attorney Adrienne Trivedi said. "When the government is detaining people in this volume it becomes very difficult to do and the chances the person is actually going to get the chance to stay here are not very good." 

The latest reports from TRAC Immigration, a data gathering, research, and distribution organization founded at Syracuse University, show 65,000 people in detention as of November under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. There were 1,300 ICE arrests between January and July in Kentucky — up 30% from the same time in 2024.

Trump most recently addressed immigration Tuesday when speaking on ICE enforcement in Minnesota focus on Somali people.

"Their country stinks and we don't want them in our country. I could say that about other countries, too," he said. "We have to rebuild our country. Our country's at a tipping point. We could go bad. We're at a tipping point. I don't know if people mind me saying that, but I'm saying it. We could go one way or the other. And we're going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country."

While the administration says its focusing on the nation's "worst" criminals, data shows 73% of current detainees have no criminal convictions. Carmona Torres' pleaded guilty to a DUI in Kentucky in 2022 and paid a fine.

When asked if her father, who moved to the Untied State from Mexico in 2013, had ever been deported, Julieta said "no."

Her mother declined an interview with WDRB but admitted Carmona Torres did not have legal permanent resident status in the U.S. She said their kids, ages 10, 7 and 2, were all born in the U.S. Now, her biggest fear is they'll be left behind.

"I want (people) to know my dad is a good person, not a bad person," Julieta said.

Carmona Torres is awaiting an detention hearing that will determine whether bond will be set. At the time of this reporting his family did not have information on whether a date had been set. 

Top Stories:

Louisville police say officers shot and killed armed suspect at east end apartment complex

Judge dismisses manslaughter charge in deadly Louisville hit-and-run case

KSP, sheriff's office step up traffic patrols in Louisville

One month later: Deadly UPS crash leaves lasting mark on Louisville community

Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.