(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles called immigration protests in Los Angeles an “active rebellion” and used the situation to call out Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
Ogles, R-Tenn., and other Republican lawmakers are criticizing O’Connell for an executive order they say could obstruct investigations by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
“If we want to keep this from happening in Tennessee, we must stop Freddie O’Connell and every Tennessee official endorsing illegal alien lawlessness,” Ogles said in a Monday morning post on social media.
O’Connell’s order required city of Nashville employees to report any encounters with federal immigration authorities within one business day. It was amended to include all departments after an operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Tennessee Highway Patrol in early May netted 196 arrests. Some of those arrested had extensive criminal histories and some had removal orders, according to a release from ICE.
Two committees in the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to O’Connell asking for more information and documents pertaining to the order. O’Connell has until Thursday at 5 p.m. to respond, according to the letter.
Republican Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton asked O’Connell to rescind the executive order.
“This order has jeopardized the safety of federal and state agents to the extent that individuals are harassing and interfering in the lawful duty of these agents,” Sexton said.
O’Connell did not directly respond to the criticism on Friday but said his actions were about “transparency” when questioned by reporters.
“Our focus is on participating in conversations,” the mayor said in a published report. “We don’t spend as much energy on statements. I think if they have specific requests, we’ll pay attention to those.”
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has frequently mentioned O’Connell on social media and shot back at O’Connell’s claim of transparency.
“This is not about transparency. This is about obstructing ICE’s work to enforce the rule of law and make Tennessee communities safe,” she said.
Blackburn introduced a bill last week that would make doxxing federal law enforcement a crime. Nashville officials are publishing all encounters with immigration officers on a website. The names of some officers were listed on the site, but they have now been redacted, according to a report from WSMV.
“Blue city mayors are doing everything they can to obstruct the Trump administration’s efforts to deport criminal illegal aliens,” Blackburn said. “Just last week, Nashville Mayor O’Connell and his office doxxed federal law enforcement officers after the Trump administration worked with Tennessee Highway Patrol to arrest criminal illegal aliens.”
