During a Friday visit to Nashville, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that ICE will be sending more officers to the city in the absence of a partnership between local police and federal immigration agents.
“Clearly, when there is a sanctuary city or there’s a sanctuary state, we’re going to have to put more federal officers there,” Noem said, referencing Nashville, New York City and Chicago.
Legally speaking, Nashville is not a sanctuary city, and Tennessee is not a sanctuary state. The Tennessee legislature passed a law this year that makes it a felony to vote in favor of any policy that shields people from immigration enforcement. Lawmakers also voted to approve incentives for local law enforcement to partner with ICE under the 287(g) program.
Still, Washington Republicans have criticized Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell for his response to ICE activity in Nashville.
“He needs to stop, and knock it off, and grow up, and act like a leader and start sending his law enforcement officers to have our backs,” Noem said.
While Nashville police don’t have a 287(g) agreement with ICE, the Tennessee Highway Patrol does. In May, state troopers conducted stops in Nashville on ICE’s behalf. Local activists have said that the stops amount to racial profiling, having been conducted on roads in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.
“We have judges out there and other individuals saying people have been targeted that way and it’s not true,” Noem said.
Noem also said it isn’t up to her if ICE deports Kilmar Abrego Garcia for a second time while he’s awaiting trial in Tennessee.
Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March, is still being held in Tennessee despite a federal judge ruling in favor of his release. That’s because prosecutors have said that ICE may deport him before he’s able to stand trial for federal human smuggling charges.
Noem told reporters that she wants him to stand trial.
“When that is done and that process is over, he should never be allowed to be free in the United States of America. So even if he goes home to his home country, my hope is that he will be incarcerated there for the rest of his life as well,” Noem said.
But she said whether he’s deported before trial isn’t under her “purview.”
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