Over 100 Arrested in Tennessee ICE Crackdown/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ More than 100 people were detained in Tennessee during a joint ICE and Highway Patrol immigration enforcement operation. Critics say the crackdown is fueling fear and racial profiling in immigrant communities, particularly in Nashville. State officials defend the effort as part of Trump’s deportation agenda, while city leaders distance themselves from the arrests.
Tennessee Immigration Crackdown Quick Looks
- 103 people detained in ICE-THP joint operation
- 588 traffic stops made in total across Nashville
- City officials say they were not notified in advance
- Activists allege racial profiling in immigrant neighborhoods
- Arrests coincide with Trump’s mass deportation initiative
- Gov. Bill Lee supports expanded state-level enforcement
- City leaders urge transparency and restraint
- Community fear rising among immigrant and refugee residents
Deep Look
Tennessee Arrests Over 100 in Immigration Crackdown Tied to Trump Deportation Plan
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Federal immigration officials, working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, arrested over 100 people in a statewide crackdown that immigrant advocates are calling racially targeted and politically motivated.
The operation — part of President Donald Trump’s renewed mass deportation strategy — has stirred anxiety across Nashville’s diverse immigrant population. The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) described the raids as unprecedented in scope and effect.
“None of us have ever seen anything like this,” said Lisa Sherman Luna, TIRRC’s executive director.
The joint effort with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) resulted in 103 individuals taken into custody, following 588 traffic stops since the operation began on May 3.
State and Federal Partnership in Focus
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, recently signed legislation creating a state immigration enforcement division, housed within the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. This includes the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), now working directly with ICE agents.
Tennessee joins states like Florida in allocating state-level resources to Trump’s broader immigration crackdown. Florida officials last week announced over 1,100 arrests in a similar ICE-led operation.
Local Officials Push Back
City leaders in Democratic-led Nashville have expressed concern and frustration about the lack of transparency.
“This caught everyone in city government by surprise,” said Nashville Law Director Wally Dietz.
Dietz said that although the city occasionally provides additional police patrols at various locations, Nashville’s Metropolitan Police Department was not involved in detentions or in planning the operation. Attempts to gather more information were reportedly met with requests to file public records.
Critics Say Operation Targets Immigrant Communities
While THP says stops were based only on driver behavior such as taillight violations or tinted windows, immigrant advocates allege the campaign has disproportionately targeted neighborhoods of color.
“All signs point to this being racial profiling intended to terrorize the heart of the immigrant and refugee community,” said Sherman Luna.
She added that legal counsel could help many detainees avoid deportation, but fear of prolonged detention is leading some to voluntarily accept removal.
Demographic Impact and Community Response
About 9% of the Nashville metro area’s 2 million residents are immigrants, with large populations from Mexico, Honduras, and a sizable Kurdish community. The area is also home to refugees from Sudan, Myanmar, and other countries.
“It’s a strategy to strike fear into our vibrant, diverse, beautiful neighborhoods,” Luna said.
ICE reported that at least one individual detained during the operation was wanted for homicide in El Salvador, and that drugs and firearms were also seized.
Still, advocates maintain the operation sends a message of hostility to immigrants, particularly those with no criminal history.
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