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Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
An ICE coordination center currently set to open in the Donelson area of Nashville is continuing to draw condemnation from left-leaning community advocates who are pushing the Metro Council to take any possible formal action to stop its development.
Federal records show the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded Alaska-based Koniag Services a contract to provide support for an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations 287(g) National Coordination Center to support law enforcement partners enrolled in the federal program across the country.
Primarily, the center will operate a call center capable of handling upwards of 6,000 daily inquiries from law enforcement agencies across the nation and providing local agencies with “local targeting focus and material” to locate missing immigrant children.
The facility will not be a detention center, but that fact hasn’t stopped opposition to the agency’s presence in the city in any form by local officials and activists. And while several Metro Council members said during a press conference following the announcement of the center that they intended to oppose the center however they could, advocates attended last week’s council meeting to express their frustration that legislation has not been introduced to that end.
“We are wanting folks to speak out tonight in public comment, to speak out against this development, and really urging Metro Council to do whatever it takes to stop the development of this facility,” one speaker said.
Another commentor, who identified herself as a longtime educator, said she was “deeply concerned about what we are teaching our children by potentially allowing a 287(g) ICE coordination center to operate in our community. They do not need us to normalize surveillance, suspicion, and the idea that some families are less deserving of safety and surveillance than others.”
Communications Director for the Tennessee Democratic Party bemoaned, “They are building infrastructure to surveil our neighbors, share information about our neighbors, and ultimately remove our neighbors from families and their communities. Someone’s father or mother doesn’t come home. A child loses a parent. Your favorite small business closes down. That is what all this infrastructure eventually touches.”
Others criticized ICE operations and enforcement efforts in general or President Trump’s immigration stances.
“Two years ago, being anti-fascist, pro-religious freedom, and pro-trans rights didn’t make me a terrorist either, but according to National Security Presidential Memorandum seven, apparently here I stand, before you today, as a terrorist. Fascism doesn’t stop at taking rights of just some, it will always need another to exist,” opined a resident.
The call center was not part of the council’s meeting agenda, so no action was taken. Additionally, it is unclear if the council would even have the legal ability to intervene, though Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office said last month he was “still in the process of getting a consistent description of what is planned.”
Meanwhile, in Knox County “faith leaders” have sent an open letter to the government, asking the sheriff’s office to terminate its relationship with ICE and withdraw from the 287(g) program, which Sheriff Brent Gibson plans to expand. The letter has over 100 signatures from top church representatives, including the bishop of Knoxville’s Catholic diocese.
“For years we have stood with our immigrant neighbors in vigil, in advocacy, and in accompaniment; we have sat with families in our own congregations who live in fear; we have watched as the government has intentionally blurred, confused, and distorted the line between ‘authorized’ and ‘unauthorized’ immigration status, so that status can be revoked, pathways to legal status vanish, and even lawful permanent residence no longer is a guarantee of safety from ICE,” the letter reads.
“We reject spending our local money and resources on increasing suffering in our community,” it continues. “In addition, we ask our local elected leaders to refuse every expansion of ICE enforcement operations in our region. These programs do not make our communities safer or more secure but actually increase suspicion and mistrust of law enforcement.”
A representative from the sheriff’s office confirmed the department’s participation in the 287(g) program is expanding but reiterated the intent to ensure officers have access to additional training and resources and is certainly not targeting any specific group of people.
“The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is not targeting individuals based on race, ethnicity, nationality, appearance, or where someone may be from. That is not the purpose of this program and will not be how we police Knox County. Our participation in the 287(g) Task Force Model is about ensuring that properly trained KCSO deputies have the tools and authority necessary to address situations they encounter while performing legitimate law-enforcement duties. It also allows us to handle those matters locally, with trained deputies who know this community, rather than relying unnecessarily on federal ICE agents to assume that role in Knox County,” a KCSO representative stated.
“It is also important to remember that unlawful immigration is not specific to any one nationality or demographic. Our responsibility is to apply the law fairly and consistently to everyone,” he added.
Sources:
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
WVLT.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
