Several drivers in South Nashville were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Saturday night, sparking outrage from activists and politicians.
Eyewitnesses reported that ICE worked with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, or THP, to detain several drivers along Murfreesboro Pike, Nolensville Pike and Antioch Pike, including Uber drivers and mothers with young children, who were allegedly left in vehicles by themselves.
Nashville’s ICE office did not respond to WPLN’s request for comment.
Metro council member Sean Parker, who represents parts of East Nashville, said he heard reports that ICE is holding dozens of people in small rooms together under “inhumane conditions,” and that lawyers have not been able to get in to see their clients. Parker also questioned whether the Metro Nashville Police Department was involved, as officers with the department were seen going in and out of Nashville’s ICE office Sunday afternoon.
“No MNPD personnel were involved in last night’s enforcement action. MNPD has no federal immigration authority, is not trained to conduct immigration enforcement, and lacks access to federal immigration databases. They do respond to calls for service and help ensure public safety during protest events anywhere in the city, including the one Sunday,” the Nashville Mayor’s Office said in an email to WPLN News.
The Mayor’s Office decried ICE’s actions.
“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.”
The department does not have an official agreement with ICE through the 287(g) program, which deputizes local law enforcement to operate as ICE agents.
On a livestream posted late afternoon Sunday, a bus full of people could be heard slapping their hands against the glass as they were driven out of Nashville’s ICE office to an unknown location.
Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, released a statement, condemning the THP’s alleged involvement in the arrests.
“Dragnet operations like this do nothing to improve public safety. What they do is terrorize families, disrupt lives, and shatter trust between law enforcement and the communities they are supposed to serve,” Behn said. “THP officers should be focused on roadway safety, not detaining parents heading to drop their kids off at daycare or pulling over residents based on their appearance, language, or neighborhood.”
Nashville’s THP office did not respond to WPLN’s request for comment.
Update: This story has been updated to include comment from the Nashville Mayor’s Office.
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