A surprise immigration sweep by ICE and Tennessee state troopers in South Nashville has left 84 people detained and a community seething.
At a Glance
- ICE and Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted 150 traffic stops in South Nashville
- 84 undocumented immigrants arrested, including individuals with criminal histories
- Mayor Freddie O’Connell condemned the operation as causing “deep community harm”
- Metro Nashville Police Department was not involved in the operation
- Community leaders and advocates decry lack of transparency and coordination
Unannounced Operation Sparks Outrage
In the early hours of May 4, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in coordination with the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), carried out a high-impact enforcement operation in South Nashville. The action, which included roughly 150 traffic stops, resulted in the arrest of 84 undocumented immigrants. According to Fox17 Nashville, ICE stated the operation targeted individuals with prior felony convictions, including a convicted child sex offender and a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Watch WSMV’s report on the ICE operation in Nashville.
The operation took local authorities by surprise. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell confirmed that the Metro Nashville Police Department was not notified or involved. “What we saw over the weekend was actions that happened on state routes with no coordination with local officials,” he said. O’Connell warned that these uncoordinated sweeps inflict “deep community harm.”
Community Leaders Demand Transparency
Public response has been swift and sharp. The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) condemned the arrests, stating they “shatter families, erode trust in law enforcement, and lead to fear, trauma, and isolation.” Advocacy groups also criticized the optics of the operation, which was conducted in majority-Latino neighborhoods, raising concerns about racial profiling.
Nashville’s Legal Director Wally Dietz issued a formal request to THP demanding the identities of those arrested and clarity on the charges. But both ICE and THP have so far refused to provide comprehensive details, sparking backlash from city officials and watchdogs. Tennessee Lookout reported that detainees were already transported out of state before families received any information.
Families Torn Apart
Families of the detained say they’ve been left in the dark. Eyewitnesses described how people were stopped at random, asked for documents, and detained on the spot if they couldn’t produce them. “They just stopped them, asked them for paperwork, and if they didn’t have anything, they just took them,” one resident told Breitbart News.
In the wake of the raid, the city launched a rapid-response relief effort. Mayor O’Connell partnered with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to create the “Belonging Fund,” aimed at helping families cover urgent expenses for food, housing, and childcare. Activists say it’s a start—but demand greater protections against future raids.
Political Winds Behind the Crackdown
The raid reflects a larger trend in Tennessee, where recent legislation has expanded the state’s enforcement role. Laws passed this year established a state-run immigration enforcement office and banned support for sanctuary policies. As AP News reported, these moves mirror a national push by Republican-led states to play a larger part in immigration control.
While ICE maintains its actions were “specifically focused on individuals who threaten public safety or national security,” Nashville’s immigrant families say the tactics have shattered trust. For now, a city once known for its civic compassion is reckoning with a night of fear, silence, and lasting consequences.
