Tennessee State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) on Wednesday joined other local elected leaders in a letter accusing President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice, and Republican officials across the country of attempting to intimidate local Democrats.
Sent by the progressive activist organization, Local Progress, the letter accuses Trump and other Republicans of attempting to intimidate Democrats through the criminal charges recently filed against U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), who allegedly assaulted federal law enforcement at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New Jersey.
It also raised the charges filed against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, which have since been dropped.
“We will not be silenced or deterred by the Trump administration’s attacks on our rights as elected representatives,” wrote the elected officials, before later declaring, “we are outraged that Congressmember McIver is facing prosecution,” and calling for her “charges to be dropped immediately.”
Behn (pictured above, left) is the only member of the Tennessee General Assembly to sign the letter, but was joined by fellow Nashvillians who are elected to the Metro Council, including Council Members Delishia Porterfield, Brenda Gadd, and Ginny Welsch.
Her signature on the letter comes after U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) posted video to X from an Instagram live stream where Behn appeared to brag about successfully delaying Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers during the agency’s recent joint operation with ICE, which nonetheless resulted in nearly 200 arrests of criminal illegal immigrants.
“She just posted a 15-minute video of her and a friend stalking the Tennessee Highway Patrol as they carried out official duties—openly admitting they were trying to stall law enforcement from stopping illegal aliens,” wrote Ogles, who on Monday announced he has effected probes into Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell for his actions in response to the joint operation.
This is Nashville State Representative Aftyn Behn.
She just posted a 15-minute video of her and a friend stalking the Tennessee Highway Patrol as they carried out official duties—openly admitting they were trying to stall law enforcement from stopping illegal aliens.
Let’s be… pic.twitter.com/NEBYp9j2ic
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) May 20, 2025
“Let’s be clear: Freddie O’Connell is enabling Nashville liberals to actively obstruct ICE and law enforcement operations,” said Ogles, before adding in another post to X, “Why hasn’t Mayor O’Connell condemned this yet? A letter isn’t enough. Real accountability is coming.”
Though not a signatory on the Local Progress letter, details made public by Metro revealed that earlier this month, Metro Council Member Sandra Sepulveda similarly followed a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol vehicle while recording.
When the vehicle eventually pulled into a police station parking lot, concerned it was being followed, Sepulveda demanded that Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) order the federal agents to leave. MNPD did not comply with Sepulveda’s request.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Aftyn Behn” by Aftyn Behn.
Behn is absolutely out of control. She needs to be arrested, too.
If you think Aftyn is bad you should meet her brother.. I did and he is a card carrying Marxist. His name is Has Behn. Real nut job.