The Davidson County Sheriffs Office could be enforcing immigration laws as early as this spring. The city wants to have access to a federal immigration database and the ability to send illegal aliens who commit a crime to a deportation hearing.
Last week the Department of Homeland Security approved the program, called 287-G.
Nashville joins Charlotte, Phoenix and Los Angeles, other cities who have joined the program. Sheriff Daron Hall began pursuing the immigration enforcement powers in August. The move followed public outcry after several high-profile crimes were committed by illegal aliens who had been released from the city’s jail.
Hall complained about how slowly the process was moving as recently as last month. He says Senator Lamar Alexander then organized a meeting with Homeland Security officials to get an explanation.
“I was on the phone almost everyday with folks at Homeland Security, telling me we’re working as fast as we can. This is the fastest one I’ve seen go through this. I was complaining how slow it was. And so amazingly we get this letter. My point is that we can only assume that the fact that we were staying on it and that Senator Alexander was hosting a meeting where they would have to explain why or why not we’re approved I think had a lot to do with it.”
The sheriff has formed an advisory panel which will hash out the specifics of the program, including the crimes that would qualify an illegal alien for deportation.
The new immigration powers will not be in place until those standards are agreed upon by city and federal officials.
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