U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) on Friday published a letter sent by Congress to Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, informing the mayor of a congressional probe investigating his actions in response to the recent federal immigration enforcement in Middle Tennessee which netted nearly 200 arrests.
O’Connell (pictured here), in response to the recent joint operation between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), signed an executive order requiring rapid Metro Nashville employees to rapidly inform the mayor and the Office of New Americans of any interactions with federal immigration officials. He also announced a new “Belonging Fund,” which received seed money from nonprofits that were awarded millions in Biden-era stimulus money by Metro Nashville.
“Instead of defending our state, Mayor Freddie O’Connell is sabotaging it. He’s weaponized his office to dox and surveil federal agents who are trying to stop violent criminals — and worse, he’s embraced those criminals by creating a taxpayer-funded program to aid illegal aliens,” wrote Ogles in a post to X, referencing the revelation that Metro Nashville published full names of federal immigration officials as part of a transparency initiative.
Ogles added, “The recipients of these funds are untraceable. The purpose is crystal clear: help illegal foreigners evade the law.”
He also posted the letter sent to O’Connell, which in addition to Ogles, was signed by U.S. Representatives Jim Jordan (R-OH-04), chair of the Judiciary Committee; Mark Green (R-TN-07), chair of the Homeland Security Committee; and Tom McClintock (R-CA-05), chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement.
🚨🚨 INVESTIGATION BEGUN 🚨🚨
Instead of defending our state, Mayor Freddie O’Connell is sabotaging it. He’s weaponized his office to dox and surveil federal agents who are trying to stop violent criminals — and worse, he’s embraced those criminals by creating a taxpayer-funded… pic.twitter.com/VP9x1XnscO
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) May 30, 2025
“While the state of Tennessee has outlawed sanctuary policies,1 recent actions from your office threaten to chill immigration enforcement in the City of Nashville and Davidson County,” the congressmen informed O’Connell. “Accordingly, we write to request information about how your recent actions, including a directive to Nashville and Davidson County employees to disclose their communications with federal immigration officials, affects the robust enforcement of immigration law.”
The congressmen then specifically noted the actions taken by O’Connell in response to the federal immigration enforcement by THP and ICE:
Earlier this month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) partnered with the Tennessee Highway Patrol in an immigration enforcement action that “resulted in the arrest of 196 criminal illegal aliens, some with significant criminal histories and outstanding final orders of removal.” Instead of supporting those law enforcement efforts to protect Tennessee residents, you condemned ICE’s immigration enforcement actions. You also announced a “partnership” with local activist organizations to create a fund to raise money to “support” aliens, including those ‘affected by the ICE [enforcement actions].’”
We are also concerned about your directive to most Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County employees “who are reasonably likely to engage in” communications with “federal immigration authorities” to report those communications to your office. Specifically, your amended Executive Order 030 directs employees of any “Metro emergency services department,” including the police department, to report communications with federal immigration officials “within one business day.” The Executive Order also requires non-law enforcement employees to report to your office if they communicate with federal immigration officials about “modifying a policy or practice of a Metro department or office.”
They then warned that O’Connell’s actions, “could have a chilling effect on the ability of local law enforcement to communicate freely and candidly” with their federal counterparts, as well as “chill the enforcement of federal immigration law and undermine public safety.”
For the purpose of congressional oversight, they requested O’Connell submit all internal communications and documents related to his executive order, as well as those “referring or relating to ICE enforcement actions” during the period ICE and THP was conducting its joint operation.
The congressmen also requested O’Connell provide, “[a]ll documents and communications between or among Metro employees and non-Metro employees, including but not limited to non-governmental organizations, referring or relating to the arrest of criminal aliens” during the joint operation.
O’Connell was requested to provide these documents to Congress by June 12.
Previously, Ogles said during an appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show that the probes could lead to a referral to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“We would have an investigation, we would turn over our findings to the Justice Department. Then, of course, they would review it from there. That being said, what this does is shows mayors…that we are going to uphold law enforcement, we’re going to stand by law enforcement, and we’re going to uphold federal immigration law,” Ogles told Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, before the probes were confirmed.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Rep. Andy Ogles” by Rep. Andy Ogles.
The Belonging Fund is an Unregistered Foreign Agent.