The Metro Council will soon review new legislation asking the city to stop honoring voluntary detention requests from immigration agents. The ordinances, presented this week by Council Member At-Large Bob Mendes and District 17 Councilman Colby Sledge, would be the closest Nashville has come to having sanctuary city-like laws, which they say still meet federal and state guidelines.
The measure would stop Metro jails from sharing arrest information with immigration officials unless a federal criminal warrant is presented. It would also prohibit Metro resources from being used in immigration enforcement and would seek to renegotiate a 21-year-old contract that allows the Metro jail to be used as a regional ICE detention center.
Mendes said he hopes the bills will foster trust between the immigrant community and officials, while fitting within the confines of federal and state law.
“Honoring a detention request is indeed voluntary,” he said. “There is nothing that makes us a sanctuary city by refusing to honor voluntary, warrantless detention requests.”
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition estimates there are currently 33,000 people living in Nashville without legal status. The councilmen say hearing from families who’ve been ripped apart by deportation inspired them to take action.
Mayor Megan Barry has tried to console Nashville’s undocumented community with reminders that police officers are not out to enforce immigration laws. While it is true that Metro officers may not request proof of legal residency, those in a precarious position know just how simple it can be to get caught up in the criminal justice-to-deportation pipeline.
Unlike California, which in 2013 passed legislation allowing undocumented drivers to become legally licensed, Tennessee requires proof of legal status and residency to apply for a driver’s license. As a result, undocumented residents living in the state are not allowed to drive legally.
Tennessee law allows for officer discretion when it comes to making an arrest, but for undocumented Nashvillians, the fight to remain in the U.S. can begin with a traffic offense. The councilmen said they hope that this won’t be the case for much longer.
Nashville has
one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the United States. As the number of foreign-born residents has doubled over the past decade, the local government has maintained that they are welcome.
Mayor Barry even has a special department that leads a number of outreach efforts aimed at engaging and empowering immigrants, which is why the mayor says she doesn’t necessarily think new legislation is needed.
“Nashville has been a warm and welcoming city for many years, which has been an important part of our economic success and cultural vibrancy,” Barry said in a statement. The mayor says the legislation won’t change anything within Metro Government, “and simply reaffirms our current practice of not engaging in immigration enforcement activities.”
But the city is engaging, even if in an indirect way. The county jail, under the direction of Sheriff Daron Hall, has consistently cooperated with voluntary ICE requests.
“The question that each and every Nashvillian needs to answer for themselves is [this],” Vice Mayor David Briley said at a press conference Wednesday. “When we talk about our city being welcoming and friendly, is that nothing more than a lie we tell ourselves to feel good?”
“I am asking the Metro Council to adopt these ordinances,” he added. “I am asking Mayor Barry to sign them.”
The ordinances are scheduled for a first of three votes by the Metro Council on June 6.
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