A spokesperson for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Wednesday told The Tennessee Star that his request for Metro Nashville Council to pass a budget including $735,000 for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) reflects a potential city grant, which the spokesperson said would allow oversight of how the nonprofit organization that advocates for illegal aliens is able to use the money.
The mayor’s request was first reported by The Pamphleteer last week, and after U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) amplified the reporting, O’Connell’s office defended his request in a statement to Fox 17, stating the money would support those “working to adjust or maintain their lawful immigration status or U.S. citizenship.”
Responding to questions from The Star, Nashville Chief Communications Officer Julie Smith told The Star, “The Office of Financial Accountability conducts fiscal and programmatic monitoring of grants administered by the various Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County government agencies to ensure compliance with federal, state and local laws, regulations, stated outcomes and results, and specific requirements of the grant program.”
This appears to be the first reference to the line item as a grant. In O’Connell’s proposed budget, the appropriation for TIRRC is listed under the Recreational, Cultural, Conservation, and Community Support category. The entry for TIRRC states, “Contribute TN Immigrant [and] Refugee Rights Coalition,” and includes $735,000.
Following the mayor’s office statement to Fox 17 that the money would support those “working to adjust or maintain” their legal status, the spokesperson told The Star that the money would not be used to support efforts opposing federal law enforcement, or to provide legal representation, assistance, counseling, or advocacy for illegal aliens.
The spokesperson told The Star that Metro will restrict how TIRRC can use the money, and that the nonprofit “is aware of the grant requirements.”
In the statement by O’Connell’s office published by Fox 17, a spokesperson stated, “These funds are intended to support TIRRC’s work to provide accessible, high-quality legal services, education, and information to support people working to maintain compliance with applicable immigration laws and policies.”
Metro Nashville’s response followed criticism of the plan in the media, including from Fox News and Outkick pundit Tomi Lahren, as well as elected officials.
Blackburn, who polls suggest is likely to capture the Republican nomination for governor in August, shared earlier reporting by The Star about the proposed funding for TIRRC in a post on X.
She wrote, “Every Tennessean should be outraged that Mayor [O’Connell] wants tax dollars to fund a pro-illegal alien nonprofit. I urge the Metro Council to reject this. Anti-ICE groups like TIRRC should not receive a dime of Tennesseans’ hard-earned money.”
In his own post on social media, Ogles also highlighted the money O’Connell requested for Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors (TNJFON), another nonprofit that provides legal services for immigrants.
“Aiding and abetting illegal aliens is illegal. Yet the Nashville mayor is sending over $1 million to corrupt NGO’s,” wrote Ogles. He claimed, “$700,000 in taxpayer dollars to the TIRRC and TNJFON means illegal aliens are getting taxpayer funds to embed in our state, raise our housing prices, steal our benefits, and commit more crime.”
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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].
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Office of Family Safety.
