Chief John Drake said last Friday the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) does not enforce United States immigration laws due to disputes over the “ethics’ and “tactics” employed by the federal government, implying and confirming that law enforcement groups are lobbying the Trump administration to change its enforcement strategy.
“As I’ve said time and time again, the Metro Nashville Police Department does not do immigration enforcement,” said Drake on Friday. “The primary reason is that we don’t feel that some of the ethics, some of the tactics that we use [are] appropriate.”
As an example of the tactics MNPD objects to, Drake stated, “Going around to everyday citizens of Nashville, or people that live here in Nashville, and doing things with them, we don’t want that.”
“We want trust. We want people to report crime to us. And so if they feel like we’re a part of immigration enforcement, then people are not gonna report crime to us. People are continuing to report,” said Drake.
Also during the press conference, Drake noted that the city is currently polling residents who do not speak English about their interactions with Metro Nashville, and said previous surveys have found that Spanish-speaking residents of Nashville currently trust law enforcement.
“We continue to look at crime. We’ve looked at Hispanic suspects, Hispanic victims, and so they continue to talk to us, and so we’ll continue to build that, and I’ll stand behind it,” said Drake. “We will not be a part of immigration enforcement arresting people who commit a crime, whether they’re documented or undocumented.”
Drake was questioned about cooperation with ICE following reports that federal immigration officials are arresting aliens who appear at courthouses in Wilson County and Robertson County.
Currently, MNPD does not screen individuals it arrests for their national origin or legal status. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office instead determines immigration status when processing those arrested by MNPD into county jails.
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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].
Need a new police chief. One who can enforce all the laws. Selective enforcement is just wrong.