Protestors Decry Rutherford County’s Involvement With Federal Immigration Program

Image: Rutherford County Courthouse Image Credit: J. Stephen Conn / CC & Canva

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Protestors gathered outside of the Rutherford County Courthouse yesterday over the county’s decision to become the latest jurisdiction in Middle Tennessee to partner with federal immigration authorities.

The protest, which was promoted by local Democrats and supported by Murfreesboro Democratic Socialists of America, was an opportunity for those opposed to the partnership to tell county leadership that they do not approve of or want the 287(g) program in their community.

The 287(g) program allows local law enforcement to identify arrested individuals who do not have United States citizenship in an effort to assist ICE.

There are three different 287(g) models that local and state law enforcement agencies can operate under: warrant service officer (WSO), task force (TFM), and jail enforcement (JEM).

In the WSO model, local officials are able to serve illegal immigrants already in jail with civil immigration warrants.

The TFM model acts as a “force multiplier” by combining state and local law enforcement efforts and allowing officers to enforce limited immigration authority during routine police enforcement duties.

Finally, in the JEM model, jail and prison workers can identify and process individuals with criminal or pending criminal charges who have been arrested by state or local law enforcement agencies and who lack United States citizenship.

Rutherford County joins approximately 30 counties that are already partnering with ICE through the program including Bradley, Coffee, Cumberland, Dyer, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Hamilton, Knox, Macon, Morgan, Putnam, Sullivan, and Sumner.

County Commissioner Hope Oliver called ICE a terrorist organization during the last Rutherford County Commission Safety Committee meeting.

The memorandum of understanding that Rutherford county is entering into with ICE builds on what the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center has done since 1996 and will allow deputies access to a federal database.

When noncitizens are booked into the detention center, staff makes contact with ICE to verify if there are any detainers from the federal government, and if there are, deputies then serve those detainers and ICE determines what happens with the inmate.

Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh assured the community that his office does not arrest people for immigration issues. “We never have and we never will,” said Fitzhugh.

Yesterday’s protest was the second time since August that community members have expressed their opposition to the Sheriff’s department joining the 287(g) program.

In August, Fitzhugh stressed he was not entering into a contract with ICE for broader immigration enforcement.

“I don’t have deputies going out and enforcing immigration laws. I vowed we’re not gonna do that. I’m not gonna sign a contract to do that,” Fitzhugh said.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.