by J. Holly McCall, Tennessee Lookout
May 4, 2025

(This story has been updated.)

An apparent immigration enforcement action by agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency early Sunday morning in Nashville resulted in the detentions of area immigrants, officials said. 

According to a press release from state Rep. Aftyn Behn, a Nashville Democrat, “Witnesses reported multiple drivers pulled over and detained, including mothers driving to work, allegedly leaving children in vehicles by themselves. Videos, photos, and firsthand accounts point to ICE working in tandem with the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) to carry out what can only be described as a dragnet.” 

A Tennessee Lookout photojournalist on Sunday documented buses leaving a U.S. Department of Homeland Security facility in Nashville. Family members of the alleged detainees were also present, protesting the alleged detentions. 

“Arbitrarily rounding up parents on their way home and workers traveling to their jobs does not make Nashville safer or stronger,” said Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition in a statement. “Instead it shatters families, erodes trust in law enforcement, and leads to fear, trauma and isolation that weakens the collective fabric of our community.”

“This is yet another unconscionable act of cruelty and abuse of power by ICE collaborating with state law enforcement that will have a devastating impact on families throughout Nashville and beyond,” Luna said. 

In a statement posted on social media, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said, “This type of federal enforcement action is not focused on making us safer and leaves people in our community fearing any interaction with law enforcement when there is a crime occurring. We will be seeking the names of those detained.”

At publication time, the Lookout had not received responses to requests for comment from ICE or the Tennessee Highway Patrol. 

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— Mayor Freddie O’Connell (@mayorofnashvilletn.bsky.social) May 4, 2025 at 7:41 PM

The detention comes amid a federal and state focus on immigrants and moves to deport them. In a January special legislative session, the Tennessee General Assembly passed sweeping immigration legislation to create a new state enforcement office as a liaison with the Trump administration, provide grants to law enforcement agencies that agree to participate in the federal 287(g) program, which allows local police and sheriff deputies to enforce federal immigration laws and criminalize public officials who vote for sanctuary city policies.

In a press announcement calling for the special session, Gov. Bill Lee said his aim “ensuring our state is ready to assist President Trump in carrying out his immigration enforcement agenda.”

Several other bills targeting immigrants were taken up during the regular legislative session. A measure to hold churches and charitable organizations liable for providing housing aid to immigrants without legal status — who then go on to commit a crime — passed, as did a “human smuggling” bill, which creates a new crime for harboring or hiding immigrants without permanent legal status.

A spokesperson for the Metro Nashville Police Department said the agency was not involved in the detention action but sent officers to the DHS facility to monitor a public protest before they were relieved by highway patrol officers. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

The post Immigration and Customs Enforcement “dragnet” in Nashville results in detentions appeared first on tennesseelookout.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Left-Leaning

The article emphasizes the negative impact of immigration enforcement actions, highlighting concerns from immigrant rights groups, local officials, and community members. The tone is critical of the collaboration between ICE and state law enforcement, framing it as a harmful and unjust action that disrupts families and fosters fear. The inclusion of statements from Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and the mayor of Nashville further strengthens this perspective. The piece aligns more with left-leaning views, particularly those advocating for immigrant rights and criticizing aggressive immigration enforcement policies.