Tax documents reveal the nonprofit contacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to facilitate the transportation and release of thousands of illegal immigrants from detention facilities in Louisiana to Tennessee in 2022 received more than $800,000 of its funding from government sources that year.
Documents released last week by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti reveal the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Resettlement Coalition (TIRRC) was central to ICE’s plan to release thousands of illegal immigrants in the Volunteer State.
Tax documents reveal TIRRC received more than $800,000 in funding from government sources in 2022, during the same period the emails show the Biden-Harris White House was urging ICE to provide updates on its efforts in Tennessee.
According to the Statement of Revenue from the Form 990 tax document filed by the nonprofit in 2022 reveals the group received $867,175 from government sources that year.
TIRRC did not report what portion of the funding it received from local, state, or federal government agencies, though the government funding constituted nearly a quarter of the group’s revenue. TIRRC received an additional $2.6 million from contributions, gifts, grants, or other acts of giving. It received just $22,000 from fundraising events and $5,881 from membership dues.
Though a breakdown of funding sources is not clear, a request from TIRRC to Metro Nashville in 2020 sought just $100,000 from local taxpayers. TIRRC’s Form 990 revealed it raised nearly $400,000 from government sources in 2020.
For this year, a budget posted to TIRRC’s website shows it expects $891,089 of its funding to come from government sources.
Though the plan was foiled after legal action was taken by Skrmetti, emails released by the attorney general reveal the Nashville Director of New Americans and a TIRRC representative urged ICE officials in Louisiana to brief Governor Bill Lee on the details of the federal agency’s plan.
The emails released by Skrmetti’s office include a December 7 email from a TIRCC official to the federal agency that urged them to include Lee’s administration in future conversations about releases.
“Thank you for the meeting time this am and answering some crucial questions for us. As discussed, we really believe this conversation should be had with the Tennessee Governor,” said the TIRCC representative. They added, “I will circle back soon with more information about TIRRC’s capacity to support new arrivals in Tennessee.”
As ICE officials communicated with the governor’s office to arrange a meeting, a background document provided to a Lee administration official on December 16 revealed TIRRC sought to be included.
“For awareness, the Tennessee Immigrant Refugee Rights Coalition has requested to participate in this discussion with the Governor’s team. This NGO could be a participant on the receiving end,” the ICE official wrote in a document provided to Lee’s office.
It also informed the governor’s office that, in addition to TIRCC, the ICE office in Louisiana was working with similar nonprofits to release illegal immigrants in Alabama.
Later emails from an ICE official to their superior reveal the meeting between ICE and Lee’s administration was cordial, but the governor was opposed to any releases. The plan seemed to dissolve further after Lee went public with the plans in a Fox News appearance, then shared more details in posts to the social media platform X.
While the plan was met with roadblocks, the emails reveal the Biden-Harris White House repeatedly sought updates on the plans to release illegal immigrants in Tennessee.
An ICE official wrote an email on December 22, “to address the ongoing WH requests for updates,” in which they revealed the agency informed Lee, as well as Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), that ICE “respected their position” on releasing illegal immigrants in Tennessee.
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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 “TIRRC Demonstration” by TIRRC.
