The Metropolitan Clerk of Nashville told The Tennessee Star on Friday that his office currently has no records related to the proposed $718,000 grant for Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors (TNJFON), the second nonprofit that provides services to illegal aliens that would receive funding in the budget submitted to the Metro Council by Mayor Freddie O’Connell, despite Tennessee law requiring a report containing their statement of proposed use, program serving residents, and annual audit be made available for public inspection.
Asked whether his office has records related to the proposed $718,000 grant for TNJFON, Metro Clerk Austin Kyle told The Star, “No, we don’t have any records for that proposal at this time.”
The statement from the Metro Clerk comes amid scrutiny over the item in the mayor’s budget requesting $735,000 for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) from state and federal lawmakers, and following the Thursday confirmation by Kyle that his office does not have state-required reports for the proposed TIRRC grant.
Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 7-3-314(b) states that nonprofits seeking financial support from metropolitan governments must file their request with the “clerk of the legislative body.” The information transmitted must then be available for inspection by the public:
Any nonprofit organization that desires financial assistance from a county with a metropolitan form of government shall file with the clerk of the legislative body a statement of the proposed use of the funds and the program that serves the residents of the county and a copy of an annual audit. The report will be open for public inspection during regular business hours of the clerk’s office. This subsection (b) does not apply to nonprofit organizations involved in the study, participation in and appreciation of the visual, performing or literary arts receiving grants from an arts commission or arts board created by the legislative body of the metropolitan government.”
The Star also sent an inquiry seeking information about TNJFON’s submission to the grants coordination division of Nashville’s Finance department, which Kyle previously suggested might have had the information required to be made available for public inspection by TCA 7-3-314(b), but did not receive a response prior to press time.
While information about what the proposed grant entails appears to remain unavailable for public inspection, contradictory claims about its history and purpose have been advanced from O’Connell’s office.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for O’Connell told The Star that the grant would allow Metro Nashville to maintain control over how the money would be used, including prohibitions on legal advice, representation, or advocacy for illegal aliens. On Thursday, a spokesperson told WKRN the funding was “not new,” suggesting it was a continuation of the 2022-2026 contract between Nashville and TIRRC.
That contract explicitly authorized TIRRC and TNJFON to offer legal services and support to illegal aliens, including those who are in removal proceedings. It also included support for those seeking asylum, protection from deportation, and Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
Unlike the proposed spending for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, the previous funding for TIRRC and TNJFON was sourced from money sent to Metro as a result of former President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The statement from Kyle comes as criticism over the proposed funding mounts, with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), and Tennessee State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) all questioning the spending in posts to social media.
Sharing a post to X from Blackburn, the State House speaker suggested the proposal could violate Tennessee’s law against sanctuary cities.
“This year the House passed legislation to expose through transparency these groups who violate our state laws,” Sexton added. “We look forward to bringing it back next year!”
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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].
