A new draft document released last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers more information about the federal government’s plans for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) National Coordination Center being built in Nashville, revealing the facility could support nationwide audits of local law enforcement agencies participating in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program.
In a Request for Information (RFI) released publicly on September 1, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) asked public contractors to submit details about how they could perform compliance assessments of local law enforcement agencies that participate in the 287(g) program, which allows local authorities to perform certain federal immigration enforcement tasks.
The RFI shows ICE – ERO is seeking contractors capable of completing about 1,000 assessments each year and suggests they would occur at both ICE Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the new National Coordination Center being built in Nashville.
While details about the facility continue to emerge through federal filings and announcements, the government contractor tapped to run the call center has reportedly started hiring in Middle Tennessee.
Public job listings associated with Koniag Government Services, which is listed as the contractor for the Nashville facility, currently include positions for call center operators on both day and night shifts.
Though it is unclear exactly how many jobs the federal facility will bring to Nashville, previously released documents indicate DHS anticipates the call center will operate around the clock and eventually receive more than 7,000 calls per day.
ICE confirmed late last month that the call center “will provide 287(g) partners with real-time operational support, case-related guidance, and direct access to ICE resources, improving response times and ensuring law enforcement has the support needed to protect communities and enforce federal immigration law.”
Governor Bill Lee signed legislation earlier this year that requires Tennessee sheriffs’ offices to participate in the 287(g) program with ICE, though the law allows sheriffs to choose which of the three 287(g) agreement models to enter. These include the Task Force Model, Jail Enforcement Model, and Warrant Service Officer Model.
Even beyond Tennessee, there has been notable growth in the 287(g) program since President Donald Trump began his second term in office, with the agency currently showing 2,462 active agreements. The total has reportedly increased by more than 1,470 since Trump reentered the White House.
Earlier this year, the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC) produced a report revealing there were more than 11,000 convictions or arrests of illegal aliens in 2025. Last month, DHS said ICE arrested more than 120 illegal aliens at one nightclub in Memphis.
The non-partisan Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) recently estimated the foreign-born population has decreased by about 2.9 million since Trump began his second term in the White House. Of those who departed the United States, the think tank said 2.3 million were illegal aliens.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
