Latest news with #AftynBehn
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump DHS issues stark warning to Dems harassing ICE agents: ‘Not playing games'
The Trump Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is warning Democrats and leftists doxxing ICE agents and impeding immigration enforcement operations that it is "not playing games." In response to an online video of a Democratic state representative in Tennessee allegedly stalking ICE agents, DHS said, "This Administration is not playing games with the lives and safety of our ICE officers." The DHS statement claimed that "people doxxing our officers and impeding ICE operations are siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals." The statement came in response to a video posted on social media by Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., allegedly showing Tennessee Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn "stalking" ICE agents in the Nashville area. The video appears to show Behn and another woman in a car saying they were following and "bullying the ICE vehicles and state troopers." "This is a win," Behn said, laughing. Ogles said that Behn and her companion were "openly admitting they were trying to stall law enforcement from stopping illegal aliens." Ogles said "this isn't just reckless, it's aiding and abetting." In response to the incident, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital "attacks and demonization of ICE have resulted in officers facing a 413% increase in assaults." McLaughlin said DHS "has the ability to trace phone numbers and track location information" and that "any individual who participates in the doxxing of our brave federal immigration agents will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." DHS and the U.S. Secret Service served a search warrant May 1 on the home of a Los Angeles resident accused of posting fliers in various Southern California neighborhoods with the names, photos, phone numbers and locations of ICE officers working in the region. Earlier this year, anti-ICE activists began putting up posters featuring the personal information of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers working in the Los Angeles and Southern California area. The posters include the faces of several ICE agents and say, "These armed agents work in Southern California. ICE and HSI racially terrorize and criminalize entire communities with their policies. They kidnap people from their homes and from the streets, separating families and fracturing communities. Many people have died while locked up in jails, prisons, and detention centers." Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the White House, told Fox News Digital that "whether it's Tim Walz slandering ICE officers as 'Nazis' or members of Congress physically assaulting them, the Democrat party is truly unhinged, and their dangerous behavior is putting lives at risk. "They are defending illegal terrorists and attacking those who are keeping Americans safe," Jackson added, noting the administration "will hold anyone accountable who commits a crime against [federal law enforcement officials]." Behn did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. ⏩ 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. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
TN bill aimed at clearing out homeless encampments near state roadways
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A bill proposed by Republican lawmakers could speed up the removal of homeless encampments near Tennessee's highways. Homeless encampments can sometimes be found under overpasses and bridges on Tennessee's highways. '[Some] of the things that we saw were people getting hit and killed by cars, people freezing to death — pets that didn't have any shelter,' Hermitage resident Brittany McCann said. Brookmeade Park reopens with added security improvements The bill would require the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), in partnership with local law enforcement agencies and other state departments, to remove homeless encampments from state property within 30 days of a citizen complaint. If passed, unhoused people would have at least 72 hours to leave state property. Officials would then collect and store any leftover belongings for 90 days. '[They] don't have anywhere to go, and so they move these things to the side of the road, and they hope that they can come back and get them,' State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) said. 'This bill does nothing to take into consideration the humanity of these people and the lives that they have lived.' A state analysis reported the bill could cost $64 million. 'Think about what $64 million could pay for in terms of services for the unhoused,' Behn added. 'This bill does nothing but further exacerbate the crisis in the state.' The bill would also require the state to work with non-profits. In a statement, non-profit People Loving Nashville told News 2: 'The goals of our community should aim to get the most vulnerable the help they need. I promote the thought that if we are going to make laws that give authorities increased ability to remove encampments, that we should equally, if not even more so elevate the opportunities for those who will be affected most, those who live outside. In addition to this, we need to consider that the idea of leaning into non-profits to do this work is kind, but unrealistic without increased resources. You are essentially asking for the aid of overburdened nonprofits to carry out the work of removing camps without providing additional resources. This bill is only solving for the removal of camps, not for helping citizens who reside in their state. With out resources the individuals will move to another area to camp, and then we start the process over again, and now we have potential criminal activity added to the records of those who are trying to exist. My suggestion is to include in the bill increase funding that directly matches each removal of encampment. ' Ryan Lampa, CEO of People Loving Nashville As of publication, the bill's sponsors had not responded to News 2's request for comment. Democrats have criticized the proposal. However, McCann, who saw the challenges with a Hermitage homeless encampment, is for the bill. 'We have outreach groups that are fighting for the right for people to be able to live on the street and that's not living; that's just waiting until they die, and that has to stop,' McCann said. ⏩ McCann told News 2 she sees this as an opportunity to give people a second chance. 'We want you in housing,' McCann explained. 'We want you to get a job. We want you to be successful and happy.' The bill is on the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee's calendar for Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee lawmaker files ‘Pot for Potholes Act'
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A state representative has filed a bill that would allow for the sale of marijuana and marijuana products in Tennessee and allocate the tax revenue from those sales to state highways. Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) filed the bill, dubbed the 'Pot for Potholes Act' Monday. The bill outlines regulations for growing, processing and selling marijuana. Additionally, it states 75% of the revenue derived from taxing marijuana and marijuana products 'must be deposited into the state highway fund.' Read the full text of the bill here The legislation comes a year after Behn launched a 'Rocky top, not rocky roads' campaign to raise awareness about what she called a lack of funding for roadway infrastructure projects across the state. Behn told News 2 a draft report anticipating Tennessee's infrastructure needs estimated the cost of needed public infrastructure improvements at $78 billion. 'Unfortunately, there just hasn't been momentum at the Tennessee legislature the past decade to see it [marijuana legalization] over the finish line,' Behn said. 'Now that I'm a member of the House Transportation Committee, I thought, 'What a wonderful way to marry the two ideas of a creative revenue stream and to give the Tennessee public something they desperately want.'' Behn said the state has a backlog on infrastructure projects, but the state budget is insufficient to cover that backlog. This bill, Behn added, would allow Tennessee to diversify its revenue stream. Additionally, Behn said public opinion polling showed the legalization of cannabis was popular. December 2024 data from a Vanderbilt University poll showed more than 60% of voters supported recreational legalization. The bill also cites the fact 38 states have a marijuana regulatory structure. Legislation aims to increase age verification of tobacco, hemp product retail sales 'I still think there are some rigid dogmas and stereotypes around marijuana at the legislature,' Behn said. '…I think Tennessee is, unfortunately, deemed as a state often that is really backwards. What a wonderful opportunity to think forward and to legalize marijuana and to fill the potholes with that money.' Behn is hopeful about the bill's future, saying it was well-received in a transportation committee meeting. 'I'm excited to see what kind of coalition I can build to get it across the finish line,' Behn added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
