Tennessee Sheriff Asks Citizens to Report Suspicious Activity amid ‘Ongoing Border Crisis,’ ‘Growing Homeless Population’

Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris on Wednesday urged the public to report suspicious activity to his office after photos of Greyhound buses reportedly sparked speculation about illegal immigration in Tennessee.

In a statement posted to the social media platform X, Farris revealed a photograph of two buses with Texas license plates, which circulated among locals, actually depicted Greyhound buses. Farris explained that one bus had broken down required a second bus to continue transporting passengers.

He stated, “a Greyhound bus broke down and another Greyhound bus came to pick passengers up.”

Nonetheless, Farris (pictured above) scalated dangers posed by the ongoing border crisis and the growing homeless population across the country,” stated Farris. “The crime linked to illegal immigration, mostly in larger cities, is unciacceptable, and as your Sheriff, I am committed to protecting Putnam County from these threats and maintaining the safety of our community.”

The sheriff told constituents to call the sheriff’s office “if you see any suspicious activity caused by those foreign to our community.” He also advised against “sharing any unverified information on social media as this can contribute to unnecessary panic.”

🔔 MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF 🔔 pic.twitter.com/v9rqPiWPxC

— Putnam Co. TN Sheriff – Eddie Farris, Sheriff (@putnamsheriffTN) September 18, 2024

Putnam County contains Cookeville, Tennessee, and is located about 80 miles east of Nashville. In 2020, just under 80,000 people lived in Putnam County.

The sheriff’s statement comes as U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data shows nearly 3 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States this year and over 12 million throughout the Biden-Harris administration.

Experts additionally suggest roughly the same number could cast a ballot in the November elections.

Polling released Wednesday found that 54 percent of Americans now support the mass deportation of illegal immigrants proposed by former President Donald Trump, with other stricter immigration policies receiving even higher support among the electorate. Sixty-nine percent of respondents support limiting the number of migrants who can claim asylum, and 62 percent support empowering local law enforcement to detain migrants.

Additional polling conducted last month found that 47 percent of Americans believe illegal immigration will increase if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected in November, while another survey found 60 percent believe there will be less under Trump.

So far in September, alleged crimes involving illegal immigrants in Tennessee have made national headlines twice, first after a Guatemalan citizen was accused of attempted second-degree murder over a pickaxe attack in Knoxville, then when an illegal immigrant charged with murder in Franklin was apprehended in Texas, just 30 miles from the southern border.

The men were able to commit the alleged crimes despite Mexico reportedly agreeing to stop the flow of illegal immigrants until Election Day, according to which Center for Immigration Studies senior national security fellow Todd Bensman, who recently told The Michael Patrick Leahy Show the deal will be difficult for Mexico to keep past November.

“You can’t expect the Mexican government to comply with such a tall order after November 5th. I’d say it’ll start back up after the election – not Inauguration Day – so we should start to see the Mexicans just open up the throttle as soon as they don’t have to do this anymore,” Bensman told Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star.

– – –

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].
Background Photo “Putnam County Courthouse” by Brian Stansberry. CC BY-3.0.