Two ordinances filed by Metro Councilmen Bob Mendes and Colby Sledge, drafted with the assistance of the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and cheered on by Mayor Megan Barry, will make Davidson County and Metro Nashville the most liberal sanctuary city in the U.S.; in fact, even more liberal in its policies than New York City or San Francisco.
The Metro Council may hold the second of the three required readings of one or both bills during its regularly scheduled meeting tonight.
TIRRC, an affiliate of the National Council of La Raza and a recipient of funding from a George Soros front group, has been agitating for Nashville to formalize its informal sanctuary city practices since the election of President Trump. The two bills co-sponsored by Mendes and Sledge which will have their second reading tonight, will accomplish that goal.
Trying to pass off the ordinances as “in line with state and federal law” the other Mendes/Sledge bill if passed will, by prohibiting Metro Nashville employees from inquiring into anyone’s immigration status, effectively enable illegal aliens to access public benefits they would otherwise be barred from using.
Using the ruse that it’s “bad policy and bad practice”for the Metro Council to continue a contractual arrangement with the U.S. Marshals Service that enables the Davidson County jail to detain illegal criminal aliens for ICE pick-up, the Mendes/Sledge bill would “require Metro to exercise its rights to terminate the contract, and negotiate new terms subject to Council approval.”
Mendes and Sledge object to cooperating with federal authorities working to deport criminal aliens and appear to have internalized Mayor Megan Barry’s mantra that Nashville is and should remain a “welcoming city” making the likely outcome that the Metro Council will decide not to renew any agreement that allows for complying with ICE detainers.
Even liberal New York City’s sanctuary policies include exceptions to the blanket rule of non-cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The NYC law includes 170 crimes that trigger cooperation with ICE detainers leading to deportation and more recently during budget hearings, Mayor De Blasio indicated he would be willing to add to that list of crimes:
But I would say anyone in good conscience who reads that list of 170 offenses, which is essentially any acts of violence, anything involving a weapon, anything involving terror, any major drug offenses — it’s quite comprehensive — understands the intent is to protect the safety of all New Yorkers.
After the murder of Kate Steinle by an illegal alien who had already been convicted of seven felonies and deported five times, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors “clarified” their sanctuary policy to allow the sheriff more discretion to cooperate with federal immigration authorities involving illegal aliens who commit certain felonies.
Mendes has downplayed the potentially devastating effect his bills will have on unsuspecting communities in Davidson County despite the fact that one of his bills will allow illegal aliens who commit all types of crimes, without exception, to be released back into the community instead of facing possible deportation by allowing cooperation with ICE.
“Operation Community Shield” is an ICE Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) operation that targets violent gang members and their associates by partnering with local, state and other federal law enforcement agencies. The most recent report from May 2017, netted over 1,300 nationwide arrests of violent gang members. Investigations conducted by the units including the HSI Nashville, over time Operation Community Shield has “effected more than 4,300 criminal arrests and nearly 3,000 civil immigration arrests of MS-13 leaders, members and associates.”
It is not clear if Mendes or Sledge have considered whether creating the most liberal non-deportation zone in the U.S. will magnetize Davidson County for criminal illegal aliens.
If a majority vote is reached on second reading, either one or both of the Mendes/Sledge bills will be scheduled for a third and final reading and a final vote.
Good question, Bruce! How does this benefit residents of Nashville?
Absolutely ignorant. This needs to be stopped before it really starts. I don’t know who Mayor Berry thinks she is, but she is not all powerful. Let’s get this shut down now.
I think what we really have to ask Mayor Berry is…How does this benefit the current residents of Nashville?
Oh yea
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Matthew 25
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Why would anyone want to be on the left?
To Hades with Nashville and it’s anti American city counsel. I can easily route my way around it and it can join New Orleans as cities I will not spend money in. Today’s country music sucks anyway.
How about the provision in this bill that says no Metro agency may inquire about a person’s immigration status? Does that mean that illegal immigrants get taxpayer benefits because no one can check whether they’re entitled to them or not? In case you haven’t heard, there’s a big debate going on in Massachusetts right now, because a number of illegal immigrants are getting public housing because state officials won’t ask about immigration status. They’re getting housing while citizens are on a years-long wait list.
People can disagree about whether the government should be giving housing benefits at all, but I think most would agree that our own citizens shouldn’t be sleeping on the streets while people who have no right to be in the country get housed at taxpayer expense.
Veterans that fought for your freedom are homeless on the streets of Nashville and Mayor berry does nothing.
We just came bsck from Nashville a few weeks ago and we Will he back! Great city! ????
Really? Did you go over to Antioch?
Nashville…..a sanctuary city?
I don’t pretend to understand those who choose to harbor and protect illegal aliens who have also committed crimes in our cities and states. It frightens me that fellow Americans would risk the lives and property of other citizens on behalf of known criminal individuals. It simply makes no sense to me. If the criminals, thus protected, could be guaranteed to remain within the city limits of Nashville, I might feel better, but it would still place lawful citizens at some risk. The knowledge they can travel anywhere and harm anyone should raise alarms. Where is our legislature? Where is our supposed Republican majority in all of this? Where are the myriad of elected officials across the state who are forcefully speaking out against this travesty? Their silence is deafening. Nashville’s liberal policies place each of us in danger. I’m waiting to see what our “in-state” politicians do with this. Corker and Alexander are both wastes so I expect nothing helpful from either of them. I hope the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security “hammers” Nashville………
By the way, immigration infractions are civil matters and do not rise to the level of probable cause needed for a criminal detention. Being in the U.S. without permission is a civil infraction. You can not be jailed for it. You can only be jailed if you are deported and then return. I fail to see how any pro-Constitution conservative or libertarian could support the federal government ordering states to lock up people for whom the federal government has not provided a warrant and probable cause to believe that a crime has occurred.
It’s not very forthcoming to lump improper entry and unlawful presence together under the blanket term of “immigration infractions”. Improper entry is most definitely a criminal offense and should therefore be enforced as such.
“Improper entry” is not a crime that is able to be committed in or occur in Tennessee. The crime of improper entry can only happen at the border, of which there is precisely zero inches of border in Tennessee. Further, a person can only be charged with improper entry if they are WITNESSED doing it. For the hundreds of thousands of people illegally in the U.S. who came here on legal visas and then overstayed their visas, they did not commit the crime of improper entry, only unlawful presence.
So, essentially, Dr. Freedom, you want the federal government to compel Tennessee to jail without warrants people whom the federal government might believe committed “improper entry,” a crime it is impossible to commit in Tennessee and, therefore, can not be prosecuted in Tennessee . Do you even Constitution bro?
Where in the U.S. Constitution does the federal government get the power to compel states to house federal prisoners?
Topping the list of problems Nashville has, probably second to traffic would be crime. She had no clue how to deal with the first and her plan for the second is to throw in with the criminals and tell them if you don’t like laws then they don’t apply to you. Rob and murder all you want, you’re entitled.
Barry, Do you really believe Nashville has a plan that will solve traffic problems? I suggest that you just look at other cities that have had unbridled growth so that you can see that it is not possible. I am confident that Nashville does not and will not have any better ideas that have already been proven inadequate. Dollars will be poured into study after study that result in the same old solutions that do not work. Then literally billions of dollars will be spent on projects that exceed budget by multiple times, that are years late in completion and tie up traffic the whole time. I point you to Houston and Atlanta for a couple of prime examples.
Detainers aren’t warrants. If ICE issues a warrant, Metro will hold the prisoner. The 4th Amendment to the Constitution requires warrants. Numerous federal courts have said detainers issued by ICE are at least in part unconstitutional , and are not legally binding. In effect, they are a request, only. I fail to understand why conservatives insist on our Second Amendment rights but don’t mind it when government violates some people’s 4th Amendment rights. If you support cities honoring ICE detainers, you support holding people without a warrant. You don’t support the whole Constitution, just the parts that you like.
I I came legal to this Country I want you to pay me my $10.000 back I had to pay to come here….
OUR CONSTITTION only applies to US Citizens.
False. Our Constitution applies to the government. It bars the government from doing certain things and requires the government to do other things, like respect the rights of people that are enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Nothing in the Bill of Rights limits those rights to U.S. citizens. The Constitution protects all people who are within the jurisdiction covered by the Constitution (that place called “America.”), even if they are here illegally.
Because illegal immigrants don’t have constitutional rights in America. We are not violating the south amendment rights of any Americans. Why do you care so much about someone who has spit in the face of American laws?
Fourth**
Immigrants, legal and illegal, do have constitutional rights. You’re just wrong about that.
The detainers are issued to illegal aliens who committed a crime other than entering our country illegally. So now they’ve committed two crimes on U.S. soil.
The Fourth Amendment protects people from unlawful searches and seizures. This means that the police can’t search you or your house without a warrant or probable cause. To me, two offenses sounds like probable cause to detain the illegals.
So why don’t our elected officials think about our right as law abiding citizens to have protection, to have a safe city (sanctuary) to live in and not force us to live in a city where people who have broken U.S. laws and have a good possibility to breaking more can live on our dime? What do you think Bob?
I don’t think ILLEGAL immigrants are covered by the 4th amendment, am I wrong?
I support detaining anyone who has come here illegally and knowingly broke the law by sneaking in to a country/city. Just think of all the money that the city will be saving. If this legislation passes there will be an influx of people clamoring for services that the city will be obliged to furnish. Nashville will have to then raise taxes to support all of the illegals and are you willing to pay for someone else to have a free ride?
“I fail to understand why conservatives insist on our Second Amendment rights but don’t mind it when government violates some people’s 4th Amendment rights.”
Because ILLEGAL aliens DO NOT have Constitutional rights.
Nashville has been a propsperous growing city & a number one tourist destination. If this passes, and it becomes, not only a sanctuary city but the most liberal one in the nation, Nashville can kiss all of that goodbye. It will become just like SAN Francisco. This is Progressive Socialism backed & funded by George Soros who won’t be happy till he brings America down one city at a time.
jOin us in the court fight.
That’s the only way. Fight, people!!! Don’t let this happen!
Bankrupt aren’t they?
If the liberals get their way Nashville will become another Detroit. That is Soros dream; the downfall of America one city at a time.
How did Nashvillians get themselves in this cesspool?
They were lied to by Demonrats
Simple. The Republican State Party has conceded Nashville and Memphis to the Democrats. VOnly the two largest voting blocks in the State. Find well know and honorable CONSERVATIVE business men/women willing to run our city with the same competence and integrity they showed in their business. There are very capable men like Lee Beaman in this town. I do not know his politics but I know his integrity. He is not alone. We are.