Battle lines are being drawn over immigration enforcement in Nashville. It’s shaping up as a fight once again pitting liberals who control the island of blue that is Davidson County versus the sea of red that is Tennessee.
In one corner, Nashville’s liberal Mayor, Freddie O’Connell and members of the democrat-majority City Council expressing outrage that federal immigration laws were being enforced in their city. In the other corner, the Trump Department of Homeland Security, Republican Governor Bill Lee and key players in the republican supermajority General Assembly who were clearly peeved at the tone and tenor of the Mayor’s hastily called Monday press conference.
“Republicans will not allow any city in our state to undermine our law or become a safe-haven for criminal activity by illegal immigrants,” Tennessee House Majority leader, Rep. William Lamberth (R-Sumner Co) wrote in a statement to the State News Foundation.
“Well, I was disappointed,” Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson told the SNF. “I wish we had better alignment.”
On Monday, Mayor Freddy O’Connell – without actually using the term – seemed to stake out sanctuary city policies and positions held by other left-leaning Mayors around the country. He also condemned immigration enforcement actions carried out by the state and DHS. “What’s clear,” the Mayor stated, ‘is that people who do not share our values of safety and community have the authority to cause deep community harm.”
Council members echoed his sentiments. “Our message is this: Nashville must be a place of safety, not surveillance, a city that is welcoming and not fearing,” said Council member Terry Vo (D-Dist. 17).
The Trump Department of Homeland Security responded with a blistering statement accusing the Mayor of mixing up his public safety priorities.
@DHS.gov:
During the operation in Tennessee, ICE agents arrested 84 individuals, including a convicted child sex predator, a member of Tren de Aragua, an individual convicted of aggravated assault, and multiple aliens with drug charges. The Nashville Mayor should want these criminal illegal aliens off American streets. Attacks and demonization of our brave law enforcement is wrong. ICE officers are now facing a 413% increase in assaults. President Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement, the American people voted for it, and DHS is delivering.
Fox 17 in Nashville provided a bit more detail about those arrested:
- A 37-year-old Venezuelan national, Tren de Aragua affiliate gang member.
- A 39-year-old Mexican national with six prior removals from the US and convictions for felony domestic assault and sex with a minor.
- A 28-year-old Mexican national with a conviction for reckless aggravated assault.
- A 56-year-old Mexican national with a conviction for drug possession.
Governor Bill Lee, queried by News 2 in Nashville, said the State was fully aware of the ICE operation and would continue to provide assistance for those efforts.
“I think we all know — the country knows — that over the past four years, a lot of really bad actors have made their way into this country over the border, drug and gang activity and criminals of all types,” Lee said. “President Trump was very clear that he was going to work to remove those folks from our country. Americans elected him to do that, and this ICE activity that’s happening and that has happened in Nashville is exactly what that’s about. It is about an effort to remove criminals from the streets.”
Key players in the State Legislature sounded a stronger note with regard to the Mayor’s press conference and his suggestion that Metro Nashville Police Department will stay out of the process of assisting in the state and federal law enforcement activities inside Davidson County.
“We passed legislation back during the Special Session to make sure any local law enforcement agencies were in a position to fully co-operate with President Trump’s effort to remove dangerous, violent illegal aliens out of our community, said Leader Johnson. “We made it very clear — and in fact put penalties in place for any political subdivision in the state of Tennessee that put itself out as a sanctuary city or county — we will not stand for that. That’s already against state law. Why in the world would any elected official oppose efforts to get these type of people out of communities? It’s befuddling to me.”
Tennessee’s House Speaker, Rep. Cameron Sexton. told SNF it might be a good idea if city officials adopted a wait and see attitude.
“Sometimes it’s best for everyone to sit back and let them do their jobs … before [expressing] outrage or trying to protect individuals that shouldn’t be protected based on their criminal past.”
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Brian Wilson is the Managing Editor of State New Foundation.
Typical Democrats – choose invaders over citizens.
Suburban cities surrounding Nashville should sue Nashville when illegal aliens who are Nashville residents come into their city and commit crimes.
This the type of Council Members that get elected due to Madatory Term Limits. They are not willing to go up against the Sanxtuary Policy Mayor bc he selects who he wants to run for Council, then uses his vast resources to get them elected.
Sheriff Darren Hall used to cooperate with ICE. But he changed. Could it be because his wife got a cushy 6 figure salary in O’CONNELL’s Human Resource Dept .
This is very much a Conflict of Interest, because if the Sheriff cooperates with ICE, wife loses job.
Nashville needs better leadership
It’s too bad cities like Nashville and Memphis are such a liberal stain on Tennessee. The democrat’s behavior is such a threat to safety, security and morality and the worst part is they refuse to recognize it either out of stupidity or a blind allegiance to some extremly misguided belief in “standing up for the little guy (or criminal)”. Are they so full of hate that they blindly go against every issue that is favored by conservatives out of spite. They almost destroyed America under that old fool biden.
Freddy O’Connell you might be next.
“Our message is this: Nashville must be a place of safety, not surveillance, a city that is welcoming and not fearing,” said Council member Terry Vo (D-Dist. 17).
Vo seems to have a truly bizarre definition of “safety.” Safe for criminal illegals, not for legal citizens.