State Representative John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) on Thursday suggested the nearly 200 illegal immigrants detained during the recent joint enforcement operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), may have only been caught because law enforcement pulled them over “because of their brown skin.” In a statement about the arrests, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security noted that 95 were of aliens who had prior criminal convictions and pending criminal charges, and 31 were of aliens who reentered the U.S. illegally after previously being deported – a felony offense under federal law.
The Nashville Democrat told WSMV 4 that he contacted state officials last month to ask about the operation, specifically seeking the identity, race, and ethnicity of each individual stopped, calling it “a pretty simple question” in remarks to the outlet.
“All that data exists and if they have nothing to hide, then I wish they would provide us with that information,” said Clemmons.
While he commended troopers for their actions during the enforcement operation, and stated that Nashville Democrats “are not accusing patrolmen of racial profiling or doing anything illegal,” but nonetheless questioned to the outlet whether such actions could have occurred.
“We’re just talking about simple traffic stops here and asking questions about how were they conducted? Was the letter of the law followed? Did you have probable cause to pull these individuals over? Did you only pull them over because of their brown skin?” He questioned to WSMV 4, “Did the state act illegally? Did it deprive anyone of their due process rights? Did it racial profile anyone,” and suggested, “Their refusal to answer these key questions does tend to indicate that they’re hiding something.”
Ultimately, Clemmons suggested the refusal by state officials to provide the identities of those pulled over, arrested, or detained, could rise to the level of a lawsuit brought by Nashville Democrats.
“If the state is going to be cagey about this and Bill Lee doesn’t want to answer questions, then they’re exposing themselves to potential lawsuits where the discovery process will play out in the federal courthouse, and these questions will get answered one way or another,” he told the outlet.
The suggestion of a lawsuit followed the suggestion that Metro Nashville Councilman David Benton could be recalled by Nashville Democrats after he appeared with U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) at a press conference called to unveil the start of a federal probe into Mayor Freddie O’Connell for his response to the enforcement operation.
Ogles, along with the U.S. House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees, are investigating O’Connell after he signed an executive order mandating all interactions between Metro Nashville employees and federal immigration officials be reported to him and the Office of New Americans.
O’Connell also announced a “Belonging Fund” as a joint effort between Metro Nashville and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and his office confirmed nonprofits that received millions in federal stimulus money from Metro Nashville helped seed the fund. Two of those nonprofits are now “coordinating the provision” of the fund.
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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].
If we go that route, then all crime stats according to skin color should be made Public!
Like “accuse others of what you do”, originally from Karl Marx and then counseled by Saul Alinsky. The accusation of “racist” was from Leon Trotsky in 1927 and is still used ad nauseam today against all who oppose leftist, Communist, ideology to impose their slave system.
State Representative John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) claims racism. He has no proof. He just wants to LINK those who arrest illegal alien invaders with racism. It’s ironic, considering that John Ray Clemmons is a member of the political party whose members used to actually own slaves.
Representative Clemmons is pandering to Democrats! It is sad to see elected officials playing up ridiculous claims to push a twisted agenda.
This is an example of a consistent and often leftist tactic as counseled by Saul Alinsky: “Accuse others of what you do, while you’re doing it.”
Skin color shouldn’t matter. Illegal is very clear
Dear State Representative John Ray Clemmons: The statistics are there for anyone who knows how to use a computer. I’ll save you some time.
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/rpt/2008-r-0008.htm
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2017/crime-in-the-u.s.-2017/tables/table-43
https://crimeresearch.org/2023/11/violent-crime-rates-by-race/
It is a fact that people of color (black, brown, or whatever) are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime as a percentage of the total population. The worn out claim by democrat/liberal/socialist/marxists that the police single out people of color because of the color of their skin is so much BS, and law abiding Americans of all races are getting sick and tired of hearing it.
As to the ILLEGAL ALIENS that were stopped and arrested….what do you expect law enforcement to do, pull over little old white ladies just so the LEOS are not accused of ethnic profiling???
Ever since Obama was president, the democratic party has been working overtime to reignite the racial hatred of the late 20th century as part of your plan to “fundamentally transform” America. Well I’ve got news for you and the rest of your band of idiots, American has had it with your BS, so shut the hell up.
Clemons far exceeds the level of stupidity required to function as a useless member of a governing body.
Who cares what their skin color, if they broke the law and are here illegally they must be deported.