ICE carried out operations in Nashville recently, leading to the apprehension of a convicted child sex offender and an alleged gang member. However, the city’s mayor emphasized that the primary objective was not to enhance the city’s safety.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared Democratic Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s letter to the city about the ICE arrests.
“Our main goal is to ensure the safety of our residents, and we are troubled by the perceived impact of federal activities on this objective,” O’Connell stated. “Reports indicate that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents apprehended individuals in Middle Tennessee during a recent operation. It is important to note that no personnel from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) were part of this enforcement activity.”
The mayor clarified that the local police department lacks the authority to enforce federal immigration laws and does not possess the necessary training for such enforcement actions.
ICE made several arrests in Tennessee, including a member of Tren de Aragua and a convicted child sex predator. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ICE arrested 66,463 illegal immigrants and removed 65,682, including those accused of threatening public safety and national security, according to a news release from ICE.
Three in four arrests of illegal immigrants involved someone accused of committing a crime, ICE claimed.
The total number of ICE illegal immigrant arrests includes 2,288 alleged gang members from Tren de Aragua, MS-13, 18th Street and other gangs. Tren de Aragua and MS-13 are now listed as foreign terrorist organizations.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
