An apparent immigration enforcement action by agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency in Nashville resulted in the detentions of area immigrants, officials said.
According to a statement from state Rep. Aftyn Behn, a Nashville Democrat, “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.”
A Tennessee Lookout photojournalist documented buses leaving a U.S. Department of Homeland Security facility in Nashville. Family members of the alleged detainees were also present, protesting the alleged detentions.
Raquel Bueno’s husband was detained in an immigration enforcement action in Nashville.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement walk back to the agency’s North Nashville facility after escorting a bus filled with immigrants out of the parking lot. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
“Arbitrarily rounding up parents on their way home and workers traveling to their jobs does not make Nashville safer or stronger,” said Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition in a statement. “Instead it shatters families, erodes trust in law enforcement, and leads to fear, trauma and isolation that weakens the collective fabric of our community.”
“This is yet another unconscionable act of cruelty and abuse of power by ICE collaborating with state law enforcement that will have a devastating impact on families throughout Nashville and beyond,” Luna said.
From left, Betzbet Rojas, 25, and Unimare Estrada, 24, protest the detention of their husbands, thought to be on Immigration and Customs Enforcement buses. Sarah Shoop Neumann, center, joins the protest.
In a statement posted on social media, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said, “This type of federal enforcement action is not focused on making us safer and leaves people in our community fearing any interaction with law enforcement when there is a crime occurring. We will be seeking the names of those detained.”
At publication time, the Lookout had not received responses to requests for comment from ICE or the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The detention comes amid a federal and state focus on immigrants and moves to deport them. In a January special legislative session, the Tennessee General Assembly passed sweeping immigration legislation to create a new state enforcement office as a liaison with the Trump administration, provide grants to law enforcement agencies that agree to participate in the federal 287(g) program, which allows local police and sheriff deputies to enforce federal immigration laws and criminalize public officials who vote for sanctuary city policies.
In anannouncement calling for the special session, Gov. Bill Lee said his aim “ensuring our state is ready to assist President Trump in carrying out his immigration enforcement agenda.”
Several other bills targeting immigrants were taken up during the regular legislative session. A measure to hold churches and charitable organizations liable for providing housing aid to immigrants without legal status — who then go on to commit a crime — passed, as did a “human smuggling” bill, which creates a new crime for harboring or hiding immigrants without permanent legal status.
A spokesperson for the Metro Nashville Police Department said the agency was not involved in the detention action but sent officers to the DHS facility to monitor a public protest before they were relieved by highway patrol officers.
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