NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Metro Nashville Council At-Large candidate Gicola Lane told a crowd of more than 1,000 people Monday she wants city officials to stop working with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Members of the crowd gave thunderous applause.
Later in the evening, Nashville mayoral candidate Julia Clark-Johnson said she wants to turn Nashville into a sanctuary city.
“The state of California has been successful into changing a lot of their cities into sanctuary cities,” Clark-Johnson said, suggesting Nashville follow that state’s example.
Gicola and Clark-Johnson made these comments at Nashville’s Plaza Mariachi along Nolensville Pike this week for a forum devoted to immigrant rights
Several other At-Large and mayoral candidates joined them on stage.
The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition sponsored the event, as did the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the American Muslim Advisory Council, and Conexion Americas.
The forum was in question-and-answer format, with members of those groups asking, among other things, what the Metro Nashville government can do to disentangle itself from ICE and stop future deportations.
At-Large candidate Bob Mendes, already on the Metro Council, said he will continue to do his part, especially with U.S. Republican President Donald Trump in office.
“After the presidential election, I helped write the legislation that would have kept the city from spending money on federal immigration enforcement,” Mendes said.
“We didn’t quite get to the finish line on that and, in fact, the state pre-empted us, but those are the issues we want to keep going with.”
Other At-Large candidates present included Fabian Berne, Gary Moore, Zulfat Suara, and current Metro Council member Burkley Allen.
Mayoral candidates on stage also included current At-Large Council member John Cooper, current Mayor David Briley, and State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville.
Clemmons said he thinks it’s a shame immigrant children in Nashville are too afraid to fill out forms at their schools to apply for and receive free and reduced lunches.
According to a brochure, TIRRC members use community organizing techniques to dismantle what they call “harsh immigration enforcement systems.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
No Red Hats, plastic straws, burgers, coal fired clean electrician plants, airways, cars, etc. Are the Demwits ever going to suggest a financially responsible and reasonable plan? How about bio- degradable plastics and more recycling ; rather than banning straws…that’s really going to make a difference, hah.
Trumps Economy beats the Hell out of the Loser Obama 8 year Recession. Let’s just hope Nashville and other cities won’t end up like San Francisco or Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the current Democratic leadership is moving us in that direction.
Vote Republican!!!
Let’s just gather all the adult illegals, run them out of town on a rail. Take their children, put them in cages, feed them Kibble and Bits, give them drinking water from the Cumberland , don’t bother to put diapers on babies, make the older ones work on pig farms and make them snout around and fight the pigs for food and then when they’re 18 send them back to their native country. Forget about trying to update and acquire better border security. Oh, and if they’re gang related, just shoot them. Now that’s a Nashville I bet you’d be proud of. No, I’m not a democrat, Socialism is scary at best, not at all for Nashville being a sanctuary city, been affected by an illegal murdering a family member but we should be humane with our handling of immigrants
Yes, us people out here in Deplorable, TN can’t wait for Nashville Metro and Memphis metro to be cut off of all state funding, so we can get a cut at it. Good way to balance the budget, lower taxes, particularly gas taxes. 64-23 in the House and 25-5 in the Senate to be passed unsigned by RINO governor. This bill closed loopholes that the Nashville ordinance would have used, and as Senate sponsor Mark Green has said, “puts teeth into the law” by putting state economic and community development grants in jeopardy. Bravo!
EVERYBODY in America should have to obey the law! EVERYBODY! I say no to Sanctuary City because it sends a message out there that our city/state doesn’t care about following and obeying the laws and that’s wrong! We do care, respect and expect laws to be followed AND enforced! Thank you –
Nashville has no business being a sanctuary city – we are a nation of laws and there is a path to citizenship – Elected officials are putting the needs of illegal immigrants before those of our citizens and it must stop.
The old democratic party is dead. It is now the socialist party. If alive today JFK would be a conservative and would no doubt rail against the current nightmare that calls itself the democratic party. It’s not about being compassionate. It’s about upholding laws and controlling and knowing who comes into our country. Sanctuary cities give cover to gangs, sex and drug traffickers, terrorists, etc. Using California as a model of success is brain dead stupidity. California is coming apart at the seams and most of that is because of failed leftist, socialist policies. Watch Carol Swain here… https://youtu.be/g_a7dQXilCo
living in a sanctuary city is horrid. it deteriorates everything, and sucks up funds that could go to proper things like improving schools, assisting homeless VETERANS, and so much more. in many instances, illegals have more advantages than legal citizens.
once a city is deemed “sanctuary,” they (the state) then allows them driver’s licenses, which then allows them to vote. ALL ILLEGAL, BUT MEH!
this is absolutely NOT about helping asylum seekers.
Vote Carol Swain!
Got my vote….
Notice in the first pic Clown Briley looking like he couldn’t care less what the speaker is saying.
Our Constitution is all we have to hold our city and State accountable under the law. When will people realize their yes man attitude will be there downfall .
[…] The Tennessee Star reported, TIRRC officials hosted a forum last Monday for various At-Large Metro Council and mayoral […]
NASHVILLE is going crazy
Thank you Joe. I am opposed to Nashvle being a sanctuary city.
The successful changes of California sanctuary cities are increased drug problems, crime due to gangs, homeless and sanitation problems, even typhus is back. All these leftists want is to break the law for their own political benefit. Disgusting.
and that’s the LEAST of it. in (sanctuary) colorado, illegals have (some) more rights than legal citizens, and ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE.
and be assured, if EVEN ONE CITY is deemed sanctuary, you have a sanctuary STATE.
Law breakers and pandering. Nashville doesnt deal with the homeless issue well. Nashville doesnt run the school system well, they still working on it and still failing. Do people realize the problem that the schools and teachers are having dealing with children and parents that dont speak english and getting government assistant. Taxes would skyrocket on this insane pandering idea. All these liberal ideas need to stop.
I agree.
Ladies should be aware of how they sit and what they wear when they are on stage. I wear long skirts so I don’t have to worry about it. I think people should come here legally, but if they bring their kids/have their kids here, we need to treat them in a humane fashion. I think the tariff idea was genius. Unless people commit a crime, other than just being here, I don’t think parents should be deported and if they are, the kids should go with them. Separating families is not a good thing.
Lydia . What this beautiful Queen is wearing on stage is none of your business. Please Lydia come west so we can throw you over the wall.
Why the snarky tude?
Queen? Somewhere I am missing seeing a crown or Tiara. Exactly what country is she the queen of?
there are approx 60 MILLION illegals currently, with thousands A DAY attempting illegal entry.
it is insane to support ANY of this.
These Democrats need to go and see how well it is really working out for California.We don’t need Bubonic Plague in Tennessee. 4 Police Officer have fallen Ill and Hospitalized in California. The Democrats are on the losing end and know their only chance of saving their party is Illegal Aliens. Does anyone really want this? If you do then move to California. These Illegal Aliens needs to be Vetted. We have no idea what their true intentions are.Border Patrol caught two people and verified they where Isis.Democrats has put Our Whole Country at Risk.
#BuildTheWall
#LegalImmigration
#ComeToAmericaLegally
#MeritBasedImmigration
#Trump2020
#VoteRedDownTheBallot
Bubonic plague? LMAO
It isn’t funny
It’s NO laughing matter at all. Go do some research. You wont be laughing then. It’s truth.
Well said. Spot on..
colorado is circling the drain, thanks to this insanity.