Tag: David Benton

Nashville Democrat Suggests Troopers Pulled over Illegal Immigrants ‘Because of Their Brown Skin,’ Demands Race Statistics

Tom Pappert
ICE arrest

State Representative John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) on Thursday suggested the nearly 200 illegal immigrants detained during the recent joint enforcement operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), may have only been caught because law enforcement pulled them over “because of their brown skin.”

The Nashville Democrat told WSMV 4 that he contacted state officials last month to ask about the operation, specifically seeking the identity, race, and ethnicity of each individual stopped, calling it “a pretty simple question” in remarks to the outlet. 

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Nashville Democrats Reportedly Contemplate Recall for Councilman Who Appeared with Rep. Andy Ogles

Tom Pappert
David Benton

Two reports published Friday indicate Democratic activists in Nashville are considering an attempt to recall Metro Nashville Council Member David Benton due to his recent appearance with U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), as well as a collection of state lawmakers and federal immigration officials, at a press conference announcing the congressional probe into Mayor Freddie O’Connell for his actions in response to federal immigration enforcement.

Both The Nashville Banner and The Tennessee Lookout published reports on Friday claiming a possible recall effort could be underway targeting Benton, with The Lookout specifically reporting that “Nashville Democrats” are behind the effort.

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Nashville Mayor’s Effort to Assist Illegal Immigrants ‘Screams’ Violation of Federal Law, Says Councilman David Benton

Tom Pappert
David Benton

Metro Nashville Councilman David Benton attended the “Stop the Invasion” press conference held by U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) on Monday. He called for state and federal audits of the Tennessee nonprofits which have received millions in federal taxpayer dollars, awarded through the city, before donating to the controversial “Belonging Fund” announced by Mayor Freddie O’Connell as a method to support immigrants following a federal enforcement operation that netted nearly 200 arrests.

On Tuesday, Benton told The Tennessee Star he is concerned the recent actions by O’Connell place Metro Nashville in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1324, and specifically that O’Connell’s decision to tie Metro Nashville to the “Belonging Fund” could leave Metro open to losing state and federal funding, as does his recent executive order mandating Metro employees report contacts with federal immigration officials to him and the Office of New Americans.

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