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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
During a meeting of the Rutherford County Commission’s Public Safety Committee earlier this week, a liberal commissioner referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a terrorist organization during discussion on the county’s participation in the federal 287(g) program’s Jail Enforcement Model.
Commissioner Hope Oliver’s disparaging comments came after the public comments portion of the meeting where residents protested ICE presence and activity.
Oliver commended the citizens who spoke, saying they had “very valid concerns” as they’ve seen “the media, and see what’s going on” and said she looked forward to hearing from the Sheriff’s department as she was also “alarmed” at the thought of any increased ICE actions in the county.
Committee Chair Pettus Read reminded Oliver that ICE has had a presence in the county for “a long time, many years”, which prompted Oliver to interject. “Absolutely ICE has been here. ICE has been an organization that’s been around for a long time. But it has not been emboldened and a terrorist organization like it’s turning out to be,” she declared to audience applause.
Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh, a Republican, then proceeded to address misconceptions some residents and commissioners appeared to hold regarding the agreement with ICE. He specified the department (RCSO) has had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in some form with ICE since 1996 and it will not be changing how it operates in that capacity except to broaden database access to include a federal database the department will check under certain arrest circumstances.
“I don’t have deputies going out and enforcing immigration laws. I have vowed we’re not going to do that, I’m not going to sign a contract to do that, so I don’t know really what has been told to you all. But what I’m understanding is, is I’ve got a force down here arresting people for immigration. I don’t do that, I have never done that, and I don’t intend to do that,” he elaborated.
“So, whatever the misinformation is, that’s just it. If they come to my facility, they have committed the crime in Rutherford County and they come to my attention at that point. Then we contact, if they are foreign born, then we contact federal officials to see if they are on a detainer from the federal government, that’s it. If there is, that detainer is served and then it’s up to ICE what they want to do with it.”
Fitzhugh also reminded the public he does not have the legal authority to enter a contract, as that power remains with the commission. He further clarified that the RCSO’s “pending” status on the ICE 287(g) website refers to the ongoing MOU that defines each agency’s responsibilities and functions.
“As long as I’m Sheriff, I am not going to have our people going out and enforcing immigration law,” he declared.
Following the meeting, Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr addressed the public’s apparent misunderstandings about the 287(g) program and strongly denounced Commissioner Oliver’s comments on a local radio broadcast.
“What I find particularly abhorrent, and I call on the County Commission to publicly rebuke Commissioner Hope Oliver, is [what] she said at the Monday night public safety meeting…Commissioner Oliver, I understand that she has a very progressive and liberal view of the world, and I understand that she probably embraces open or no-borders policy. I get that and if that’s what she wants to believe, that’s fine,” he began.
“But what she doesn’t have a right to do is label ICE as a terrorist organization, because if she wants to know what a terrorist organization is then she needs to go to the Secretary of State’s website. Because a terrorist organization is Hamas, Hezbollah, the drug cartels from Mexico, Al Shabazz, the state of Iran, and many, many organizations. And to compare ICE to those legitimate terrorist organizations that do reign terror across the globe is not just inappropriate, but it needs to be met with the strongest rebuke. Especially those commissioners on the public safety meeting who are in law enforcement or who were in law enforcement who said nothing to rebuke her.”
Rutherford is one of 20 counties in Tennessee which participate in the 287(g) program in some capacity.
Watch the meeting below –
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.
