Wanted: Immigration Judge in Nashville

Members of Congress joined Metro law enforcement officials today calling for an immigration judge assigned to Nashville.

Since starting a federal program to enforce immigration law locally, the Davidson County sheriff has detained three-thousand illegal immigrants who committed a crime. The number amounts to a two-thousand percent increase when compared with 2006. That’s more than any other city east of Phoenix using the 287-G program, which allows law enforcement officials to check immigration status of inmates.

The rush of deportation hearings has created a legal log-jam, forcing the city to spend thousands of dollars shuttling inmates to and from the nearest immigration courtrooms in Memphis and beyond. Immigration attorney Elliot Ozment has reservations about 287-G but agrees Nashville needs a judge.

“When a person is detained under this program currently, it’s not unusual for that person to have to wait as long as six weeks before a bond hearing in front of a judge. This is outrageous and it cannot be allowed to continue.”

Members of the Tennessee Congressional delegation plan to meet with Homeland Security officials next week to advocate for a judge.

Since 287-G started up in Nashville, advocates have had concerns about illegal immigrants being deported for petty crimes. Roughly a third of the arrests stem from simple traffic violations because illegal immigrants have no valid driver’s license.

Sheriff Daron Hall defends the program, saying there are often prior charges involved.

“There was a gentleman arrested last night for no driver’s license and he turned out to be illegal this morning. That would be a no driver’s license arrest case, but what may need to be pointed out is that he also was wanted in Chicago, Illinois, for an aggravated felony.”

Hall says crimes committed by illegal immigrants are down 20-percent since April of last year.