Latest news with #TIRRC
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘We are human beings': The faces and stories of families impacted by ICE activity in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Dozens of families gathered at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Office (TIRRC), sharing emotional stories of how recent ICE operations have torn their loved ones away. This weekend, THP, in collaboration with ICE, detained 94 people during a so-called 'Safety Operation.' Among them, officials with ICE say they were a convicted child sex predator, a known Tren De Aragua gang member, and an MS-13 Gang Member wanted for aggravated murder out of El Salvador. But advocates on Thursday said not every case fits that narrative. Ingrid Martinez said her mother was one of those detained. On Thursday, she stood in her place and described her mom as a churchgoer and devoted grandmother, not a criminal. Nashville releases timeline of ICE activity across city 'It's not fair because they are only arresting them and getting them because of their color and because they are Hispanics,' a family member of a detainee, Ingrid Martinez, said. 'My mom isn't a criminal. My mom, she serves at church, she takes care of her grandkids, so I don't know how she can be seen as a criminal.' Written testimony from Patricia, who moved to Nashville in 1992, shared how her family is now living in fear and uncertainty after their loved one was also taken away. 'I would like you to think about the families that are separated who are in pain, anguish, and despair,' the letter from Patricia, read by Luis Mata, said. 'We are human beings like everyone else. Don't let them lie to you and make you think they are only arresting criminals. They are arresting anyone simply based on who they are and what they look like.' The letter continues, 'The situation can be compared to a tornado that lifts up and destroys everything in its path.' Also in the room were families facing similar heartbreak. TIRRC said it has handled over 850 calls on its legal hotline in the last five days, 75% of which were related to this week's enforcement activity. Officials with TIRRC explained that they are still waiting for more information, with only 62 detainees identified. Immigrant community on alert amid reports of ICE activity in Nashville and beyond 'These stories are just a small glimpse into the devastation that families across our community have experienced in the last four days,' Executive Director for TIRRC, Lisa Sherman Luna, expressed. 'As we speak we are getting reports of ICE roaming the streets, going up to children at a bus stop and asking them about their parents' immigration status, we've heard of a father on the way home from buying birthday decorations for his son's birthday party, getting picked up and is now in detention.' According to a THP press release, the agency's role in the joint operation is to observe driving behavior and conduct lawful stops based on violations of Tennessee traffic laws. Preliminary results released by the THP resulted in 468 stops for observed traffic violations. These included: Hazardous Moving Violations 3 DUI arrests 1 child endangerment arrest 1 felony evading arrest 2 drug arrests 5 felony wanted persons The press release goes on to say THP's role is to 'enforce Tennessee traffic laws fairly and consistently, and our troopers continue to make lawful stops, based solely on traffic infractions, in an effort to keep Tennesseans safe. We do not enter neighborhoods or stop vehicles based on who someone is—we stop based on what they do behind the wheel.' If this incident affected you or a family member, 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. ⏩ To donate to The Belonging Fund, an effort to support Nashville immigrants during moments of crisis, follow this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee advocates demand ICE release the names of those detained
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — An immigrant rights group is working to determine who was arrested in Nashville ICE operations so they can get legal help and ensure due process is protected. More than 80 people were arrested by ICE over the weekend in Davidson County. However, their names have not been released, leaving families and attorneys in the dark. 'TIRRC is trying to communicate with everyone who says that they have a loved one that they haven't heard from,' said Allen King, legal services director at TIRRC. 'We are building that database of people that we are hopefully going to find and represent.' Nashville releases timeline of ICE activity across city Five Tennessee based organizations—including Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR), Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors (TNJFON), Latino Memphis, and Community Legal Center (CLC)— have sent a letter to ICE's New Orleans Field Office calling for transparency and immediate access to counsel. 'So we can see where they are being held and we can schedule some interviews with them just to screen them for any possible forms of immigration relief to possibly get them on the path to a status or even just get them out of detention,' Director of the Immigrant Justice Program at Community Legal Center, Colton Bane, said. 'We are actively coordinating with these families to provide legal representation to those detained,' the letter reads in part. The one-page letter describes how on Sunday, an attorney with TIRRC was blocked from speaking with three detainees, raising concerns about due process. 'The detained individuals now face significant practical barriers to communicating with counsel from detention in Louisiana,' a subtitle in the letter reads. More than 80 arrested since ICE operations began in Nashville, ICE says The biggest concern is due process. Attorneys told News 2 it is not uncommon to see rushed proceedings and detainees feeling pressured to sign 'self-deportation' forms, often without legal counsel or language support. 'They do not read or speak English, but they are being made to sign this form that would essentially deport them back to their country of origin or even to a country they have never been to before,' Senior Staff Attorney with Latino Memphis, Skye Austin, said. 'Sadly, there really isn't much we can do at that point,' Bane expressed. 'It is really hard to overcome the waiving of rights.' Despite ICE claiming it targets people with violent criminal histories, advocates said the arrests appear broader. 'I think the biggest misconception is that 'A' these people are criminals, right?' Austin said. 'That is a huge one. But then 'B,' that they automatically have access to or can get hold of representation, and that due process is being served, that is not happening.' 'Any immigrant, whether they have a pending application with CIS or the court or not, is going to be a target, and that frightens me because what is the point of immigration law if you are not going to abide by it?' Austin added. ⏩ Read today's top stories on If and when the names are released on ICE's portal, they said they can start notifying families and preparing to defend their case as quickly as possible. 'Try to apply for the first immigration bond and then, if possible, find representation for them to apply for other forms of immigration relief,' King said. 'There's still a fight to be had even when someone is detained; a lot of people think that is the end of the road, but it is not,' Bane concluded. If the recent ICE operations have affected you or a family member, 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. To donate to The Belonging Fund, an effort to support Nashville immigrants during moments of crisis, follow this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Axios
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Recapping Tennessee's 2025 legislative session
Tennessee's legislative session ended Tuesday night, with lawmakers sending a final wave of bills to the governor's desk. Here's a recap of some top stories from the session. 🍎 Immigrant education bill stalled One of the most talked-about pieces of legislation this year was a measure that would have allowed public school districts to refuse to teach undocumented immigrants. The bill was an explicit attempt to challenge a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires public schools to admit students regardless of their immigration status. The plan faced heavy opposition from immigrant rights advocates, educators and even some Republicans. The legislation faltered in the waning days of the session, as Republican support splintered and concerns emerged that it could jeopardize federal education funding. Yes, but: Advocates at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition said the bill could easily be revived in 2026. "All of our organizing actually has to scale up over the summer to ensure that if this bill comes back next session we are ready to defeat it," TIRRC executive director Lisa Sherman Luna said. The big picture: The bill was emblematic of the ways many Tennessee Republicans have embraced President Trump's hardline positions on immigration, diversity and other issues. 🗳️ Felon voting rights Tennessee law currently requires felons who've lost their voting rights to get their gun rights back before they can restore their voting rights. A new bill lawmakers sent to Gov. Bill Lee this month would change that so that people could get their voting rights restored first. But they would still have to convince a judge to restore their voting rights. ⚖️ Innocence claims The Tennessee Innocence Project praised another bill heading to Lee's desk that would provide a path for people who plead guilty to a crime to later bring new evidence of their innocence to court. Between the lines: Some people who maintain their innocence choose to plead guilty for a deal or other reasons. Bill sponsor Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) said this would create an option for them if significant evidence emerges after their plea, per the Tennessean. 🩺 Fertility treatment protections Lawmakers passed a bill protecting fertility treatments, like IVF, and contraception. What we're watching: As the bill awaits Lee's signature, a group of 11 Republican House members are calling on him to veto it.
