Tennessee Highway Patrol officers look on as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents escort detainees onto a bus at the Homeland Security Immigration and Customs building in Nashville on May 4, 2025.
As of this month, nearly 400,000 immigrants have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
And ICE continues to carry out public raids and individual seizures across the country. As their tactics become more aggressive, we look at the rights of the detained, of witnesses and of property and business owners. We also take a closer look at the immigration legislation beginning to be debated in the Tennessee General Assembly. Call 615-760-2000 during the show — or pop into the chat on our YouTube stream — to ask questions and share your insights.
Guests
- Judith Clerjeune, Advocacy Director, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
- Luis Pedraza, Music City Migrawatch
- Emily Stotts, Legal Director, Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors
Further reading
- Nashvillians of the Year: Music City MigraWatch: Everyday citizens document ICE, warn neighbors in effort to resist mass deportations in their own communities (Nashville Scene)
- Following Legal Path to Citizenship, Antioch Woman With No Criminal History Detained by ICE (Nashville Banner)
- As Nashville thaws, fears over immigration enforcement remain (WPLN)
- Tennessee releases immigration crime report, majority are traffic violations (NewsChannel5)
- Who’s at risk of deportation? A guide to the U.S. immigration system, and what it means for Tennesseans (WPLN)
Seven takeaways from Ice and Your Rights:
- Know the law: The law and parameters surrounding immigration enforcement can change quickly. Keep up with the latest changes and rulings.
- Keep your distance: State law allows law enforcement officers to order observers to stay at least 25 feet away. If you are ordered to stay back, you must comply. (ACLU)
- Carry documentation: Carry proof of citizenship whenever possible. If you have a U.S. passport, keep it with you. If you don’t have a passport, carry a copy of your birth certificate.
- Have a plan: Make sure a trusted family member or friend knows what to do and who to contact (attorney, doctor, childcare) if you are detained.
- Protect your financial assets: If you are married to an American citizen, consider a joint bank account. Also consider appointing someone as power of attorney to handle your business affairs if you are detained.
- You have the right to remain silent: If law enforcement asks for identification you should comply, or risk being detained. Showing foreign identification can lead federal agents to assume you lack legal status, which can complicate the situation. If you have a U.S. driver’s license, provide it and do not volunteer additional documents. Beyond identifying yourself, remain silent.
- Ask for ID: You can ask a law enforcement officer for identification. If you do so, ask calmly.
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