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In three months, nearly 3,000 illegal border crossers arrested by Tenn. officers | Tennessee

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-20 10:25:00

(The Center Square) – In addition to federal agents arresting and prosecuting illegal border crossers for a range of crimes including sex and drug trafficking, local law enforcement officers in Tennessee arrested thousands for a range of crimes, including for violent assault charges.

In just three months, nearly 3,000 illegal border crossers were arrested, according to a Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference report.

From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024, 2,719 illegal foreign nationals were charged or convicted of a criminal offense in 73 Tennessee counties that submitted data, according to the report. The data is incomplete as it doesn’t include data from all 95 counties or for all three months.

Crimes were committed by foreign nationals from 92 countries, according to the report. The majority were illegally in the country from Mexico (892), Guatemala (564), Honduras (332), Venezuela (130), El Salvador (86), Cuba (37), Nicaragua (37), Jamaica (25) and Romania (16).

Of the 3,854 charges listed, 447 were violent offenses, including 11 homicides. Many foreign nationals were arrested on multiple charges.

The greatest number were arrested for driving under the influence (654), driving without a license (549), traffic violations (533), public intoxication, failure to appear before a judge, violating probation or other charges. Of the violent crimes reported, 154 involved domestic assault, 80 aggravated assault.

The greatest number of offenses were reported in the counties of Davidson (796), followed by Knox (242), Sumner (212), Rutherford (189), Maury (153), Hamilton (114), Robertson (98), and Williamson (92).

Twenty-two counties didn’t report data: Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Campbell, Cannon, Crockett, Fentress, Franklin, Hardeman, Haywood, Jackson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lewis, Madison, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Scott, Unicoi and Union.

State law requires local law enforcement agencies to report “the number of persons not lawfully present in the United States charged or convicted of a criminal offense” in Tennessee during the previous year.The data only covers three months of the last quarter of the year.

Of Tennessee’s 95 counties, 73 submitted monthly reports for at least one of the three reporting months; 71 submitted reports for all three months. Many counties reported zero offenses in some months.

The Tennessee Sheriff’s Association and conference are working on improving reporting, according to the report. The data only matches 70% of offenders with their respective court cases due to limited personally identifiable information collected, it explains.

Last year, the Tennessee legislature passed several bills related to illegal border crime reporting requirements, which were signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee. Lee, the former chair of the Republican Governor’s Association, led 25 Republican governors in support of Texas border security efforts, including sending thousands of National Guard troops to Texas at the height of the border crisis.

The conference report was released after the greatest number of foreign nationals illegally entered the U.S. under the Biden administration of more than 14 million, including those who evaded capture, The Center Square exclusively reported.

Under the Trump administration, illegal border crossings dropped by over 90% in one month and reached the lowest number in February in recorded U.S. history.

Local law enforcement efforts remain focused on the interior of the U.S., including in Tennessee, where violent Venezuelan prison gang members expanded criminal activity statewide.

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News from the South - Tennessee News Feed

Partner of Knox County deputy severely injured on live TV testifies in hearing

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www.wkrn.com – Ella Wales – 2025-08-21 11:36:00

SUMMARY: Christopher Hensley appeared in court for a preliminary hearing after allegedly throwing a rock that critically injured Knox County Deputy Dalton Swanger in June. Swanger was responding to a possible shooting call when struck in the head, leaving him hospitalized for two weeks. Witnesses, including Swanger’s partner Deputy Matt Kirchner and Hensley’s girlfriend Connie Harris, testified about the incident and related domestic violence. Hensley faces charges including attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault on a first responder, domestic assault, and drug possession. The judge dismissed the weapon charge, as the gun found was a BB gun, and bound the case over to a grand jury for indictment.

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News from the South - Tennessee News Feed

Flying Dress – The Tennessee Tribune

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tntribune.com – admin – 2025-08-20 19:21:00

SUMMARY: Ta-Tanisha Thomas is a prominent travel entrepreneur and certified advisor specializing in inclusive and family travel. After over 20 years in healthcare, she founded Officially Crowned LLC, which includes Officially Crowned Travel, Nashville Flying Dress, Flying Dress Getaways, and Royal Journey Apparel. Recognized as one of Nashville’s top Black travel agents, her Nashville Flying Dress venture was named a “Must Try” experience and a top finalist for the 2024 Best of Music City Community Choice Award. A military spouse and mother of three, Thomas balances her leadership with family life in Nashville, where her son attends Tennessee State University.

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News from the South - Tennessee News Feed

Nashville Pride raises alarm as long-time sponsors pull funding

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wpln.org – Marianna Bacallao – 2025-08-20 15:05:00

SUMMARY: Nashville Pride’s 2024 festival faces a financial crisis with a $300,000 shortfall due to nearly 40% of longtime sponsors withdrawing support, some just before the event. Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s last-minute cancellation of medical staffing added $32,000 in unexpected costs. Rainy weather also hurt attendance during plans to expand the festival. This decline in funding reflects a national trend amid rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment and legislative attacks. Increased security needs have further strained finances. Organizers are seeking community donations, aiming to raise $250,000 by National Coming Out Day, emphasizing that Pride relies on people, not corporate sponsors.

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