U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) verified that it plans to open a Public Safety Coordination Center in Nashville after a federal database appeared to confirm the plan was underway.
In a Friday statement, ICE confirmed that the call center will field calls to support local and state law enforcement agencies that have entered into 287(g) agreements with the federal government.
According to ICE, the new facility “will support the nationwide expansion of ICE’s 287(g) program by strengthening coordination between ICE and state and local law enforcement partners.”
The agency said that call centers, like the one being built in Nashville, “will provide 287(g) partners with real-time operational support, case-related guidance, and direct access to ICE resources, improving response times and ensuring law enforcement has the support needed to protect communities and enforce federal immigration law.”
Under current federal guidelines, there are three models of 287(g) agreement offered by ICE, with the Task Force Model (TFM) reportedly the most popular nationally. This type of 287(g) agreement allows local officers to be trained to exercise specific immigration authority in the course of their normal duties while under ICE supervision. This includes during traffic stops and sobriety checkpoints.
Other models include the Jail Enforcement Model (JEM), which allows local authorities working in jails to identify and process illegal aliens who are considered deportable by the federal government, and the Warrant Service Office (WSO) model, which allows local law enforcement to receive training and authorization to serve immigration warrants.
Tennessee sheriff’s offices are now required by state law to enter into 287(g) agreements with ICE.
While one member of the Metro Nashville Council claimed local leaders were “blindsided” by the decision by ICE to build a call center in Nashville, and a spokesman for Mayor Freddie O’Connell indicated his office did not know what tasks would be completed at the new facility, a Request for Proposal notice, published last November, contained various details about the project.
At the time, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the call center would field up to 7,000 calls daily and operate in three eight-hour shifts over a seven-day workweek.
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference released a report earlier this year showing there were more than 11,000 arrests or convictions of illegal aliens in 2025. A week-long enforcement operation by ICE in East Tennessee saw nearly 120 illegal aliens arrested in June.
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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].
