Image Credit: Speaker Cameron Sexton / Facebook.
Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton has made clear that he wants to close a loophole that exempts the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office from participation in the federal 287(g) immigration program, which became mandatory earlier this year as a new law went into effect.
The law, passed as SB2223 during the 2026 legislative session, stipulates all Tennessee sheriff’s departments must participate in the 287(g) program under one of its three models, and agencies that do not enter into the agreement could have state funds withheld.
However, Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall has said his department is exempt from that law because the language specifies Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)-certified departments, which his is not. Hall’s office helps operate the county jails but does not have policing authority, meaning the department is not required to be POST certified and is thereby exempt from the legislation, according to the Metro legal team.
Speaker Sexton is apparently aiming to change that requirement, saying that lawmakers will likely revisit the issue during next year’s legislative session. “I think one of our priorities next year is to make sure that the metro law enforcement officers, the entities in itself, will be registered as 287G and take that loophole out,” said Sexton.
A spokesperson from the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office told local news that the department has “anticipated this change and will, as always, follow state law.”
But even if the loophole is closed and the department is ultimately required to participate in the program, it is highly unlikely Metro leaders or left-leaning Nashville residents will sit quietly by as the area has been extremely vocal about anti-ICE sentiments and immigration enforcement, most recently regarding a planned ICE call center.
A recent contract change now shows a Nashville zip code near the airport to be the proposed location for an ICE call center facility to support 287(g) law enforcement partners not just in Tennessee, but nationwide.
“The center will provide 287(g) partners with real-time operational support, case-related guidance, and direct access to ICE resources, improving response times and ensuring law enforcement has the support needed to protect communities and enforce federal immigration law,” read a prior statement from the federal department.
Leftist Nashville officials and community activists have already announced their displeasure with the potential facility and pledged to oppose it however they can, possibly through zoning or permitting legislation.
“This call center is not Nashville, and we will make sure that we do everything in our power so that it is not here, ever. Because we have a responsibility to all Nashvillians, whether they were born here or raised here. They are Nashville,” said Metro Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda. “Know that we are here, and we will be fighting with every breath until we find solutions.”
And other Nashvillians are voicing their own oppositions to the call center, gathering last week at an informational meeting in Donelson organized by opponents of the proposal, including the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), to voice their objections and hear more about if or how there is any avenue to prevent it.
“I think it will be a cruelty center, and Nashville doesn’t need it,” said one resident. “I think it’s bad for Nashville. It’s bad for our sense of community and neighborliness…Angry, sad, and fearful- not so much for me, but for a lot of vulnerable people around me.”
The meeting’s organizers say their next step is determining what, if any, options residents may have in challenging the project before it gets underway.
Key details about the proposed call center, like its exact location, full scope of operations, or an opening timeline, are being kept quiet for the time being as ICE and DHS have experienced massive upticks in threats against and assaults upon officers and operations in the last couple years.
Sources:
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.
One Response
Crashville is terminally infested with lucifer’s accursed dimmercraps, criminals, idiots or both.
Sadly, Republicans haven’t the sense to boycott them, thus, contribute to the problem.