Law enforcement agencies apprehend more than a hundred individuals on Tennessee highways in alignment with Trump's immigration enforcement initiative.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Over a hundred souls found themselves handcuffed by federal immigration officials in a joint operation with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, leaving many in Nashville's immigrant community trembling in fear and uncertainty.

"Nobody's ever witnessed anything like this before," Lisa Sherman Luna, the executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, declared on a stormy Friday.

This operation, in collusion with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), serves as a grim reminder of how crucial local and state law enforcement jurisdictions are to President Donald Trump's deportation plans. Just last week, Florida officials boasted about a joint operation with ICE that netted 1,120 immigration arrests.

The Highway Patrol pronounced on a Friday that they made 588 stops during the joint operation with ICE, leading to the custody of 103 individuals under investigation for immigration violations. Among these were seized illicit drugs and firearms, claimed the Highway Patrol, purportedly disarming dangerous elements from our streets. One individual was sought for a killing in El Salvador.

Recently, Tennessee's Gov. Bill Lee signed a law that established an immigration enforcement division under the state's Department of Safety and Homeland Security, encompassing the Highway Patrol. Lee joins a phalanx of Republican officials vowing to harness state resources to execute Trump's plans.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Democratic stronghold of Nashville have repudiated any involvement and have been vocal critics of the arrests. Nashville Law Director Wally Dietz revealed on a Wednesday that the city "routinely receives requests for additional patrols for a multitude of reasons and responds to the extent resources are available." Dietz admitted he knew not who was detained and requested more information from the Highway Patrol, only to be advised to file a public records petitions.

The Highway Patrol insists that all stops are triggered solely by driver behavior, not the ethnicity of the individuals. However, immigrant rights advocates contend that the patrols have primarily targeted areas with a high proportion of people of color.

"All evidence points to this being racial profiling intended to instill fear in the heart of the immigrant and refugee community," Sherman Luna opined. "What we've heard is that THP is flagging people down for minor infractions like a busted taillight or tinted windows."

Sherman Luna believes that many of those being detained could potentially qualify for continued residency in the country if they were granted proper legal representation in immigration court proceedings. Instead, she's been informed that people are conceding to be deported out of fear, believing they might endure months or years in immigration detention.

Nashville's metropolitan area consists of roughly 2 million inhabitants, about 9% of whom are immigrants, with many hailing from Mexico and Honduras, according to the Migration Policy Institute's analysis of census data. The city also nurtures a sizable Kurdish population alongside refugees from Sudan, Myanmar, and other nations.

"This is a strategy to breed fear into our vibrant, diverse, and beautiful neighborhoods," Sherman Luna exclaimed.

Enrichment Insights

Scope of Detentions

The enforcement actions in Nashville resulted in the arrest of at least 94 individuals for immigration violations, with some accounts citing a higher number, such as 103 or 150, depending on the sources.

Focus of Enforcement

The operation's concentration was on areas like Antioch, particularly Nolensville Pike, Harding Place, and Thompson Lane, regions with a history of severe traffic crashes and suspected gang activity.

Criticisms and Concerns

The operation stirs concerns about racial profiling and immigration enforcement, due to its impact on certain communities of color. Critics argue that it's a tactic designed to instill fear within the immigrant and refugee community.

Lack of Transparency

authorities have been criticized for a lack of transparency in this operation, with the public left questioning the legitimacy of the actions taken and the identities of those detained.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition's executive director, Lisa Sherman Luna, stated that no one in Nashville's immigrant community had ever experienced something like the mass immigration arrests by federal officials and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The joint operation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) serves as a reminder of how state law enforcement jurisdictions can support President Donald Trump's deportation policies.
The Highway Patrol stated that they made 588 stops during the joint operation with ICE, resulting in the custody of 103 individuals under investigation for immigration violations, some of whom were pursued for criminal charges, such as illicit drug possession and firearm seizures.
Tennessee's Gov. Bill Lee signed a law that established an immigration enforcement division under the state's Department of Safety and Homeland Security, aligning with other Republican officials vowing to use state resources to execute Trump's plans.
Authorities in Nashville, a Democratic stronghold, have denied involvement in the arrests and have criticized the actions, with the city's Law Director Wally Dietz revealing that the city received requests for additional patrols but are limited in resources.
Immigrant rights advocates, such as Lisa Sherman Luna, argue that the Tennessee Highway Patrol's tactics are racially-motivated and primarily target areas with a high proportion of people of color, causing trepidation and fear within the immigrant and refugee community.