NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers conducted roughly 150 traffic stops in Nashville this weekend during a “public safety operation” with federal authorities, but immigrant advocates called the stops a form of profiling and discrimination.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) described the situation on Facebook: “In the early hours of May 4, advocates and organizers in the community confirmed what appears to be a coordinated operation between Tennessee Highway Patrol and ICE to stop and arrest community members driving on Nolensville Road in South Nashville.”
Dozens of people gathered on Sunday, May 4 outside of what’s listed as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office on Brick Church Pike. News 2 spoke with an immigrant rights organization, The ReMIX, which claimed that’s the location where those detained overnight were brought. According to ReMIX organizers, they’ve spoken with several who were released and are concerned for those still inside.
The organizers said they documented roughly 100 people who were detained by law enforcement, adding that the first traffic stop started around 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. The ReMIX said THP, ICE, and the Metro Nashville Police Department vehicles were seen at the stops in South Nashville, even though MNPD has denied any involvement.
Tensions rose as three charter buses left the lot, with community members unsure where those buses were going or whether their loved ones were on board. Some became more frustrated as law enforcement remained silent.
(Photo: WKRN)
(Photo: WKRN)
(Photo: WKRN)
(Photo: WKRN)
(Photo: WKRN)
(Photo: WKRN)
(Photo: WKRN)
(Photo: WKRN)
(Photo: WKRN)
“You work for us — you need to give us answers. If he was to go missing tomorrow, his family has the right to know where he’s going and where he ended up at, just like we have rights to know where our family members, where our neighbors, where our whoever gets arrested, we need to know where they end up at so we can notify their families,” said Gisselle Huerta with the Children of Immigrants organization.
TIRRC sent a statement from its executive director, Lisa Sherman Luna, to News 2:
Arbitrarily rounding up parents on their way home and workers traveling to their jobs does not make Nashville safer or stronger. 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.
What’s more, this operation—which was focused on a neighborhood with an established, vibrant immigrant population—reeks of racial profiling and unconstitutional discrimination. We demand transparency from all levels of law enforcement on the nature and scope of this operation as we fight to protect the rights of all who live and work in our community, regardless of their immigration status.
The Trump administration, in collaboration with state and local agencies, is scaling up cruel and extreme immigration enforcement tactics in our very own communities. But community organizers, advocates, and organizations are on the ground supporting the impacted families with a clear vision of a Tennessee where all of us can belong and thrive, regardless of where we come from, how much money we make, or how we came to call Tennessee home. At this moment, our highest priority is ensuring that every person impacted has their fair day in court and that families can be reunited as soon as possible.
Lisa Sherman Luna
News 2 reached out to multiple law enforcement agencies to inquire about the reported activity involving ICE in Nashville. MNPD said it didn’t play a role, and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said it wouldn’t be involved in any type of immigration enforcement.
However, THP did share the following statement with News 2 Sunday evening:
The Tennessee Highway Patrol partnered with federal agencies, including HSI and ICE, for a public safety operation in Davidson County—in areas with a history of serious traffic crashes and suspected gang activity.
Approximately 150 traffic stops were made by troopers for observed violations of traffic laws. In several cases, drivers were found without valid licenses or identification. Federal agents handled those situations, including immigration-related matters.
Troopers made a few arrests for outstanding warrants. Illegal guns and drugs were also recovered, including from individuals suspected of gang affiliation.
THP remains focused on traffic safety and supporting operations that protect Tennesseans from broader criminal threats.
A spokesperson with the ICE division Enforcement and Removal Operations provided News 2 with the following statement:
Protecting the safety and security of our communities remains a top priority for ICE. As part of our ongoing mission to uphold U.S. immigration laws, our targeted enforcement operations are specifically focused on individuals who threaten public safety or national security. These efforts help ensure that our neighborhoods remain safe and that immigration laws are enforced.
Our officers are highly trained professionals who carry out their duties with diligence, respect, and integrity. We are committed to smart, strategic enforcement that prioritizes the well-being of the public while maintaining the trust of the communities we serve. ICE will continue to work closely with federal, state, and local partners to keep our communities secure and uphold the rule of law.
Mellissa Harper, ERO New Orleans Field Office Director
Immigrant advocates stayed outside the ICE office Sunday as some of those detained were released.
“We heard from one of the men that was released that there was 23 people to a room — that’s like a 10-by-10-foot room. They have a toilet in the corner; they didn’t receive any food, any water; the air conditioning wasn’t on, so it’s just very inhumane conditions. They told us that they’re shackling people at the ankles, around their stomach, and in their wrists,” said Brenda Perez with The ReMIX.
Meanwhile, one agent smoked a cigar outside the facility, where families continued to show up Sunday, seeking answers about their loved ones.
“We go to the door, they’re not answering, they’re trying to call, there’s like no information, so it’s basically just like a kidnapping and you have no idea where your family member is,” Perez said.
A number of local politicians have posted statements in response to this operation in Nashville:
This weekend, a coordinated and alarming immigration enforcement operation unfolded in the heart of Nashville’s immigrant and refugee communities. 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.
What I’ve heard anecdotally is deeply disturbing. If THP’s involvement is confirmed, it raises urgent and serious questions about THP’s role and authority in detaining Nashvillians for ICE.
Dragnet operations like this do nothing to improve public safety. What they do is terrorize families, disrupt lives, and shatter trust between law enforcement and the communities they are supposed to serve. THP officers should be focused on roadway safety, not detaining parents heading to drop their kids off at daycare or pulling over residents based on their appearance, language, or neighborhood.
This is not happening in a vacuum. Over the last decade, Tennessee has systematically expanded its anti-immigrant apparatus. The legislation passed by Governor Lee earlier this year took that agenda to a new level, establishing a centralized immigration enforcement division under the Department of Safety and encouraging local agencies to do ICE’s dirty work.
We are now seeing the impact: neighborhoods in fear, families in crisis, and a state law enforcement agency allegedly assisting in deportation sweeps without public accountability.
State Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville)
A statement is insufficient to address the cruel and heinous acts committed by ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol last night in South Nashville, where over 150 targeted traffic stops were made to detain those they suspected of being undocumented. Weaponizing the THP to terrorize immigrant communities and rip families apart is reprehensible and makes our communities less safe. My office will be continuing to press Governor Lee’s administration, including the Commissioner of Safety and the Colonel of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, about these racist stops, the names of those detained, and the role racial profiling played in targeting immigrants coming home.
Our top priority is keeping people safe, and we’re deeply concerned that what appear to be federal actions are making that harder.
Overnight, we understand that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents detained people during enforcement actions in Middle Tennessee. As we learn more, I want to be clear: No MNPD personnel were involved in last night’s enforcement action. MNPD has no federal immigration authority, is not trained to conduct immigration enforcement, and lacks access to federal immigration databases.
They do respond to calls for service and help ensure public safety during protest events anywhere in the city, including the one Sunday just off the property of the federal ICE office. MNPD officers were relieved from the protest by state law enforcement members.
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.
Last night, ICE and Tennessee Highway Patrol carried out coordinated immigration raids in South Nashville — targeting a community with a strong, vibrant immigrant population. Families were torn apart and our neighborhoods were harmed.
This kind of racial profiling and cruelty does not make us safer. It tears families apart, creates fear and trauma, and undermines trust in our public institutions. We must stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors — now and always.
Please support the advocates on the frontlines like TIRRC and others who are working to reunite families and fight for justice. I will work to ensure our local government does not support these harmful acts.
Nashville is stronger when everyone is safe, free, and able to belong.
State Rep. Gabby Salinas (D-Memphis) and state Rep. Jason Powell (D-Nashville) both posted videos on Instagram to share their thoughts on the situation. Salinas said operations like this don’t make anyone safe and instead terrorize communities. Meanwhile, Powell claimed many of the people who were stopped are on the way to Louisiana and that he’s never seen THP working that area in his district before.
If this incident affected you or a family member, TIRRC urges you to call its resource line at 615-414-1030 for legal information and resources. The coalition also shared this link to offer a review of constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement or ICE.
