05-02-2025
Undocumented Tennesseans mainly charged with traffic, procedural violations, few homicides
Undocumented Tennesseans mainly charged with traffic, procedural violations, few homicides
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Demonstrators removed from Tennessee House committee
Immigration Committee Chair Rep. Chris Todd, R- Madison County, asked the Tennessee Highway Patrol to remove three people from a hearing.
Most of the 3,854 charges were for driving infractions, such as driving under the influence or driving without a license.
Violent crimes accounted for about 11% of the charges, including eleven homicides.
Davidson County had the highest number of reported offenses at 796, or 20% of the total.
As the Trump administration leads a nationwide crackdown on immigration — and Tennessee lawmakers pass bills to assist — a statewide report sheds new light on the frequency, location, and type of crimes allegedly committed by people residing in Tennessee unlawfully.
New research released last week by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference reported 3,854 criminal charges were made statewide against people who at the time of the charge could not provide evidence of their citizenship or legal resident status.
The report compiles three months of data from October through December 2024. Of Tennessee's 95 counties, 73 submitted data for the report, including counties surrounding all major metropolitan areas.
Overwhelmingly, the charges were for traffic infractions, vehicle licensing violations such as driving without a license, or driving under the influence.
About 11% were violent crimes. Eleven were homicides.
The district attorneys conference, a group of district attorneys from all of Tennessee's judicial districts, compiled the report in compliance with a new state law passed last year, requiring executive agencies to 'review policies and spending related to illegal immigration.'
What crimes were reported?
The majority of offenses were driving infractions, the most common being DUI (654), driving without a license (549), traffic violations (533), or driving on a suspended or revoked license (243).
DUI arrests of undocumented residents account for just over 13% of DUI arrests statewide. Law enforcement made 4,834 total DUI arrests during the same period, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's crime statistics.
Of the 3,854 offenses for which undocumented residents were charged, 447 were violent offenses, including 182 assault and 107 aggravated assault offenses.
Undocumented people were charged in 11 homicides statewide during the three-month period, including first degree murder (3), second degree murder (1), and vehicular homicide (7).
Other more frequent charges included public intoxication (147), failure to appear (150), violation of probation (91), and open container infractions (83). Less frequent offenses included rape of a child (3), aggravated rape (6), statutory rape (9), aggravated robbery (6), child abuse, neglect or endangerment (21), and assaults on law enforcement, first responders, or healthcare providers (10).
Where are the crimes reported?
Criminal charges focused on Middle Tennessee, and around the Chattanooga and Knoxville metro areas.
Davidson County saw the most offenses by far, with 20% ― 796 ― were reported in the county.
Other counties with higher numbers include Knox (242), Sumner (212), Rutherford (189), Maury (153), Hamilton (114), Robertson (98), Williamson (92), and Wilson (83). Just 59 reported offenses occurred in Shelby, Tennessee's most populous county.
How many of the charges were dropped?
Because the court process takes time, case dispositions for charges made in November and December are not included in the report.
Of the 657 cases reported in October, 85 had been dismissed and 128 led to guilty verdicts, as of Jan. 24, according to the report.
What were offenders' country of origin?
The report found more than 92 unique countries of origin.
About half of the alleged offenders came from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, or Venezuela. Countries of origin were not available for 128 cases.
Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@
