The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified Nashville and Shelby County as Tennessee’s only “sanctuary jurisdictions” actively obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
On Thursday, DHS published a list identifying all sanctuary jurisdictions in the U.S. that are “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities” as mandated by President Donald Trump’s executive order titled, “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens.”
Today, DHS issued a comprehensive list of sanctuary jurisdictions that are deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens.
We are exposing these sanctuary politicians who harbor criminal illegal aliens and defy federal…
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 29, 2025
Each sanctuary jurisdiction identified by DHS was determined by factors including “compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens,” according to the department.
DHS said each sanctuary jurisdiction identified in Thursday’s initial list and any jurisdictions identified in the future will receive a formal notification of its non-compliance with federal statutes and a demand from the department to immediately “review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”
“President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first. Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) called Shelby County’s noncompliance with federal immigration laws “completely unacceptable.”
“I will be doing everything in my power as Shelby County’s state Senator to bring the full weight of state government to determine who in country government is obstructing federal authorities and to make sure Shelby County complies with federal authorities,” Taylor added.
Nashville’s designation as a sanctuary jurisdiction comes as Mayor Freddie O’Connell is under active investigation by the U.S. House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees after he launched a “Belonging Fund” to “support immigrants in Nashville during moments of crisis” and amended an executive order making it mandatory for Metro Nashville employees to report contacts with federal immigration officials to him and the Office of New Americans.
In the time after O’Connell amended his executive order, the Office of New Americans was found to have published the names of ICE, DHS, and DSI officials and their interactions with local agencies on its official Metro government website, a move which Tennessee lawmakers and federal officials have criticized as a move putting law enforcement agents in harm’s way.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
