Immigrant rights groups report ICE activity in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Multiple immigrant rights groups are voicing concerns after saying drivers were stopped and detained in Nashville early Sunday morning.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) posted about the situation on Facebook: 'In the early hours of May 4, advocates and organizers in the community confirmed what appears to be a coordinated operation between Tennessee Highway Patrol and ICE to stop and arrest community members driving on Nolensville Road in South Nashville.'
News 2 reached out to multiple law enforcement agencies on Sunday, May 4 to inquire about the reported activity involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Nashville. The Metro Nashville Police Department said it didn't play a role, the Davidson County Sheriff's Office said it wouldn't be involved in any type of immigration enforcement, and THP and ICE have yet to respond.
Body cam footage released from 2022 THP traffic stop of Maryland man deported to El Salvador
Dozens of people have gathered in South Nashville Sunday outside of what's listed as an ICE field office. News 2 spoke with an immigrant rights organization, The ReMIX, which claimed that's the location where those detained overnight were brought. According to ReMIX organizers, they've spoken with several who have been released and are concerned for those still inside.
The organizers said they've documented roughly 100 people who were detained by law enforcement, adding that the first traffic stop started around 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. The ReMIX said THP, ICE, and MNPD vehicles were seen at the stops in South Nashville, even though MNPD denied any involvement.
The ReMIX also voiced concerns after seeing two buses leaving the facility Sunday, despite being unsure whether anyone was on them. Organizers continue to push for details to be released about the exact nature of this alleged operation.
ICE detainers on the rise in Middle Tennessee
Meanwhile, state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) issued the following statement in response to what she called a 'massive ICE operation' in Nashville:
This weekend, a coordinated and alarming immigration enforcement operation unfolded in the heart of Nashville's immigrant and refugee communities. Witnesses reported multiple drivers pulled over and detained, including mothers driving to work, allegedly leaving children in vehicles by themselves. Videos, photos, and firsthand accounts point to ICE working in tandem with the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) to carry out what can only be described as a dragnet.
What I've heard anecdotally is deeply disturbing. If THP's involvement is confirmed, it raises urgent and serious questions about THP's role and authority in detaining Nashvillians for ICE.
Dragnet operations like this do nothing to improve public safety. What they do is terrorize families, disrupt lives, and shatter trust between law enforcement and the communities they are supposed to serve. THP officers should be focused on roadway safety, not detaining parents heading to drop their kids off at daycare or pulling over residents based on their appearance, language, or neighborhood.
This is not happening in a vacuum. Over the last decade, Tennessee has systematically expanded its anti-immigrant apparatus. The legislation passed by Governor Lee earlier this year took that agenda to a new level, establishing a centralized immigration enforcement division under the Department of Safety and encouraging local agencies to do ICE's dirty work.
We are now seeing the impact: neighborhoods in fear, families in crisis, and a state law enforcement agency allegedly assisting in deportation sweeps without public accountability.
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If you or a family member were affected by this incident, TIRRC urges you to call its resource line at 615-414-1030 for legal information and resources. The coalition also shared this link to offer a review of constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement or ICE.
No additional details have been released about the reported ICE activity in Nashville.
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This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.
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