(The Center Square) – Another Democratic mayor is coming under fire for issuing a directive to city employees that appears to interfere with federal immigration operations.
Earlier this month, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell issued Executive Order 30 requiring local law enforcement to track interactions with federal immigration officials. He also held a news conference stating that city officials “did not request this approach to safety, we do not support it,” referring to a targeted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation.
Nashville’s City Review Board posted a notice on X urging residents who “experienced or witnessed an immigration-related event” to call a city-monitored hotline and file a complaint.
In response, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said the mayor’s order was “an outrageous directive requiring Nashville employees and first responders to report all communication with federal immigration authorities directly to the Mayor” and called on the U.S. House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to investigate.
On Monday, Ogles announced that Congress was launching an investigation and he was requesting “any internal discussions or documents concerning ICE enforcement actions in Nashville or Davidson County” and “all correspondence involving Metro employees and affiliated NGOs regarding the arrest or detention of criminal illegal aliens within the city or county.”
Ogles said the mayor was “standing with rapists, drug traffickers, sexual predators, child traffickers, the list goes on, which is why I will always stand on the rule of law, and with ICE. I don’t just stand with ICE, I’ll stand in front of ICE because, ‘We the People’ have had enough.”
O’Connell’s statements and actions indicated he was potentially “aiding and embedding illegal immigration,” Ogles said, adding that the committees “will be conducting an investigation into the mayor of Nashville, his conduct and whether or not federal dollars have been used.”
Ogles also issued a warning to Tennesseans: “If you’re helping violent gangs destroy Tennessee by obstructing ICE – you belong behind bars.”
The escalation between the mayor and federal authorities occurred after ICE Nashville agents, working with federal partners and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, arrested 196 criminal foreign nationals with extensive criminal histories, including those who were previously deported and illegally reentered the country.
Federal and state authorities do not need a mayor’s permission to carry out targeted immigration enforcement operations but ICE has requested the cooperation of local authorities. Those who won’t comply risk losing federal funding, prosecution and other actions taken by the Trump administration, The Center Square has reported.
Under Republican Gov. Bill Lee, state law enforcement and the Tennessee National Guard have been involved in responding to border-related crime. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is actively targeting human trafficking operations run by the violent Tren de Aragua foreign terrorist organization. The Tennessee National Guard participated in Texas’ Operation Lone Star, The Center Square reported.
In response to O’Connell’s statement about not supporting ICE agents’ public safety efforts, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security posted mugshots of violent convicted criminals ICE agents arrested and took off of Nashville streets.
They include a Venezuelan national and TdA affiliate member; a Salvadoran affiliated with another foreign terrorist organization, MS-13, who has an active Red Notice in El Salvador for aggravated murder. His criminal history includes a conviction for possession of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear, and criminal impersonation.
Others include a Haitian national sentenced for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and marijuana possession; a Guatemalan national sentenced to four years in prison for aggravated assault; an Iraqi national convicted of rape, larceny and false imprisonment. He was also arrested for failing to register as a sex offender and has a final order of removal from a judge dating Sept. 1, 2021.
Of the 196 arrested, 95 had prior criminal convictions and pending criminal charges; 31 were previously removed who illegally reentered the U.S.
Lee praised the work of THP troopers, saying he was proud of them “for assisting federal partners in the removal of dangerous criminals and drugs from our streets. Tennessee is safer today thanks to dedicated law enforcement who are leading the mission to restore public safety in America.”
