Latest news with #U.S.ImmigrationandCustomsEnforcement
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- General
- Yahoo
Nashville ICE arrests roil protests, fears, calls for investigation. Here's what to know.
An early May operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Nashville has driven controversy, protests and tensions between local, state and federal officials. Over the course of a week, ICE worked with the Tennessee Highway Patrol to make 468 traffic stops and arrest nearly 200 immigrants around south Nashville. Mayor Freddie O'Connell, advocacy groups, Metro Council members and others have raised questions and concerns over the operation. O'Connell has in turn come under fire from Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles and other D.C. Republicans, who called for an investigation into him over his response to the situation. Here's what to know as questions remain over the operation, who it affected and what happens next. More: What to know about how Mayor O'Connell responded to Nashville ICE operation The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security called the immigration arrests a "public safety operation" that focused on "areas with a history of serious traffic crashes and suspected gang activity." ICE said that 196 immigrants were arrested and that the operation focused on identifying those with criminal histories. The agency said the action stemmed from its "commitment to public safety and the rule of law." Of the 196 arrested, an ICE spokesperson said 95 had prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. Additionally, 31 of those arrested were previously removed from the U.S. and reentered the country illegally. ICE later provided a few more details on those arrested, including two with gang affiliations, one with a long history of removals from the U.S. and convictions for felony domestic assault and sex with a minor, and another convicted of rape. The operation ran from about May 3-10. As of May 29, six of the people arrested had been named by officials. 'We're not criminals': Nashville immigrant, 19, went out for ice cream, ended up detained by ICE and sent to Louisiana THP and the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security partnered with federal ICE agents to coordinate the weeklong operation. The highway patrol is now under an official agreement with ICE, giving it authority to carry out federal duties like jail and warrant enforcement. However, that agreement was not officially approved until May 13, after the operation ended. Outside Nashville, efforts to remove undocumented immigrants have also ramped up as several counties have partnered with ICE, including Sumner, Giles, Knox, Greene, Hamilton and Putnam counties. Nationwide, ICE has agreements with nearly 600 agencies across 39 states. What to know: What agencies are behind the Nashville ICE operations and how they work As the ICE operation unfolded, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell and the city's legal director, Wally Dietz, repeatedly called for transparency from ICE about who had been arrested and what they'd been charged with. On May 4, immigrant rights groups and community members gathered at Nashville's ICE office after dozens of traffic stops over the weekend. Several people from the group, which included children, chanted and carried signs as busses pulled out of the parking lot. The next day, O'Connell held a news conference. "The trauma inflicted on families is long-lasting, and I'm doing everything in my power consistent with applicable law to protect anyone who calls Nashville home," O'Connell said during the May 5 event. "What's clear today is that people who do not share our values of safety and community have the authority to cause deep community harm." During the operation, O'Connell updated an existing executive order requiring city departments to report communications with federal immigration officials to the mayor's office. The update tightened the timeline for those reports. He also addressed community and Metro Nashville Council concerns about whether the Metro Nashville Police Department was involved in the operation. Although the operations were conducted in Nashville, local agencies like Davidson County Sheriff's Office and Metro Nashville Police Department were not involved in the enforcement. A spokesperson with MNPD said the department provided additional patrols at ICE headquarters. Metro Council members held an hourslong meeting on May 7 to address questions and concerns over the ICE operation. Leaders and community members questioned the operation's legality, the involvement of local police and the need for more transparency around immigration enforcement. U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, who accused the mayor of obstructing the ICE operation, has called for a federal investigation into O'Connell in the wake of the ICE arrests. Flanked by state and local lawmakers, Ogles hosted a news conference at the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville on the afternoon of Memorial Day. He repeated a call on two congressional committees — the House Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee — to open investigations into the mayor. Ogles decried past U.S. presidents for letting a "flood of illegals" into the country and rattled off a list of crimes he said involved undocumented immigrants in Nashville, saying several were arrested during the ICE operation. He repeated what ICE officials said about those arrested having gang affiliations, prior removals from the U.S. and convictions for domestic assault, sex with a minor and rape. He also spoke about recent arrests in Middle Tennessee that were not part of the operation that he said involved gangs, sex rings, drug and human trafficking, murder and more. 'When a mayor stands up and is defending those types of individuals over our hard-working law enforcement — Homeland Security, ICE, THP, the sheriff's department and the city — he's choosing criminals over Tennesseans,' Ogles said. Other D.C. Republicans added their voices to the calls to investigate O'Connell. However, as of May 29, it was not clear if an official federal investigation had been opened. Advocates plan to maintain their efforts to support, protect and guide immigrants while navigating an ever-evolving legal and political landscape on the state and federal level. One group, established well before the operation, continues to patrol Nashville streets to look for ICE activity. The group saw a surge in volunteers after the wave of arrests. After the May 7 meeting, Metro Council members called for a number of actions, including redirecting funding in O'Connell's recent budget proposal from the MNPD toward a legal aid fund and ensuring that all city departments were in compliance with the mayor's executive order. District 17 Council Member Terry Vo also asked city officials to commit to creating a community safety plan within the 30 days following the meeting. Meanwhile, Ogles and others have continued their call for investigations into O'Connell. Metro Council Member David Benton has also called for an investigation of his own, asking for a state and federal audit of The Belonging Fund. The fund was launched by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee on May 5 to support child care and transportation costs, and address housing assistance and food insecurity for immigrant families. O'Connell previously said the city itself likely couldn't contribute to the fund and also that the fund wouldn't support immigration legal services. Benton wants clarity on that matter, saying it would run afoul of federal laws against harboring undocumented immigrants. He called for O'Connell to choose between "criminals or the innocent taxpayers." Benton represents District 28, which includes part of the area where the recent ICE operation was concentrated. Reach reporter Rachel Wegner via email at RAwegner@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville ICE arrests: What to know as questions persist
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
ICE agents arrest three at Honesdale restaurant
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested three people Thursday at a Honesdale restaurant, according to the borough's mayor. Mayor Derek Williams said the agents arrived at the Wayne County Courthouse late Thursday morning. They suited up and drove to Elegante Restaurant and Pizzeria, which was open at the time. Williams said around 10 agents descended on the restaurant, located in the 800 block of Main Street, blocked off the sidewalk and windows, and came out with two men and a woman in custody. He said they were there for an hour, with a few agents staying after the arrests looking around and interviewing people at the restaurant. The three people taken into custody work at the restaurant and live in Honesdale, Williams said. A post on the restaurant's Facebook page stated it was temporarily closed Thursday afternoon. The post apologizes for the inconvenience and offers refunds for missed orders. Wayne County District Attorney A.G. Howell said in an email two detectives from the office assisted federal agents. He said federal agents from Homeland Security served warrants at a local business in Honesdale. Howell said he couldn't discuss the matter because it is an open investigation and not being handled by his office. Attempts to reach the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the arrests were unsuccessful Thursday. Williams said it's the second time federal agents have raided the restaurant in two months. In March, agents arrested one male employee at the restaurant. He said the agency didn't inform borough police of the arrests in advance. Williams said the arrests affect the restaurant and community, adding he knows the people taken into custody. 'It's tough,' he said.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
ICE agents arrest three at Honesdale restaurant
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested three people Thursday at a Honesdale restaurant, according to the borough's mayor. Mayor Derek Williams said the agents arrived at the Wayne County Courthouse late Thursday morning. They suited up and drove to Elegante Restaurant and Pizzeria, which was open at the time. Williams said around 10 agents descended on the restaurant, located in the 800 block of Main Street, blocked off the sidewalk and windows, and came out with two men and a woman in custody. He said they were there for an hour, with a few agents staying after the arrests looking around and interviewing people at the restaurant. The three people taken into custody work at the restaurant and live in Honesdale, Williams said. A post on the restaurant's Facebook page stated it was temporarily closed Thursday afternoon. The post apologizes for the inconvenience and offers refunds for missed orders. Wayne County District Attorney A.G. Howell said in an email two detectives from the office assisted federal agents. He said federal agents from Homeland Security served warrants at a local business in Honesdale. Howell said he couldn't discuss the matter because it is an open investigation and not being handled by his office. Attempts to reach the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the arrests were unsuccessful Thursday. Williams said it's the second time federal agents have raided the restaurant in two months. In March, agents arrested one male employee at the restaurant. He said the agency didn't inform borough police of the arrests in advance. Williams said the arrests affect the restaurant and community, adding he knows the people taken into custody. 'It's tough,' he said.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘Aunty Lynn is coming home.' Pierce County woman detained by ICE to be released
A Tacoma-based immigration judge ruled Thursday that a Pierce County resident who had been detained by ICE after living in the United States as a permanent resident for 50 years should not be deported to the Philippines. Relatives of 64-year-old Lewelyn Dixon cried and clapped after Judge Tammy Fitting made that ruling in a courtroom within the Northwest ICE Processing Center, where Dixon has been detained for months. Dixon, wearing a yellow and white uniform, told reporters her time in the facility had been 'hell,' before she went back into the bowels of the federal immigration lockup to be processed and released. Outside, one of Dixon's nieces, Melania Madriaga, said Thursday's hearing was nerve wracking, and hearing the judge rule that Dixon could remain in the United States made her emotional. 'It's painful, the fact that we have to go through this,' Madriaga said. Madriaga traveled from her home in Hawaii to be at her aunt's immigration hearing. She and about 15 other people were in attendance. Outside the facility, more than a hundred people rallied to support them. Madriaga said she'd asked organizers to play music by Bruno Mars when Dixon was released. She said her aunt bought concert tickets for this week's show in Las Vegas, Nevada before she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After the hearing, a person told the crowd of people gathered in the street, 'Aunty Lynn is coming home.' The news drew cheers and applause. Some people beat on drums or waved flags. Dixon was expected to be released by 5 p.m. Dixon, a lab technician for the University of Washington, was detained at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after she returned to the United States on Feb. 28 from a trip to the Philippines. Her attorney, Benjamin Osorio, has said she was detained due to a nonviolent criminal conviction from 2001. Dixon immigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines at age 14 and moved to Washington in the 1990s, according to family members. She's been employed with UW Medicine since 2015.
Japan Today
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Trump administration ousts top ICE officials; demands sharp increase in arrests of migrants
FILE PHOTO: The badge of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. Hawthorne, California, U.S., March 1, 2020. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo By Ted Hesson The Trump administration is removing two senior immigration enforcement officials as the White House is demanding a sharp increase in arrests of migrants in the U.S. illegally, three people familiar with the move said on Thursday. Top U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Kenneth Genalo and Robert Hammer will be pulled from their posts, the people said, requesting anonymity to discuss the shift. ICE confirmed the changes in a statement but did not cite White House pressure to increase arrests. Genalo, who heads ICE's enforcement and removal division, will retire, the agency said. Robert Hammer, the head of ICE's investigative arm, will be reassigned. President Donald Trump, a Republican who took office in January, pledged to deport record numbers of migrants in the U.S. illegally. Deportations so far have lagged numbers under Trump's Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, whose administration faced higher levels of illegal immigration and quickly deported many recent border crossers. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, denied that the officials were pushed out of their roles, saying it "isn't accurate." The two officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The removal of Genalo and Hammer follows multiple ICE leadership shakeups in February. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told Fox News' "Hannity" on Wednesday that the White House was setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants per day, far above an earlier 1,000 per day arrest quota. Miller, the architect of Trump's immigration agenda, shouted at ICE officials over insufficient arrests in a meeting last week, one of the sources and two other people familiar with the matter said. The meeting was first reported by Axios. Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also threatened to fire the bottom 10% of regional ICE officials based on their arrest tallies, the people said. ICE said Marcos Charles, a former Dallas field office director, would take over enforcement and removal operations. Derek Gordon, a Washington-based official, will helm its investigative arm, the agency said. NBC News first reported Genalo's retirement. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
