Image Credit: ICE.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
The Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) has officially signed on to participate in the 287(g), a program that allows local law enforcement to identify arrested individuals who do not have U.S. citizenship in an effort to assist ICE.
“TDOC will continue to partner with state and federal agencies to support ICE operations as needed to uphold the law and increase public safety,” Kayla Hackney, spokesperson for TDOC told Knox News.
There are three different 287(g) models: jail enforcement, task force and warrant service officer.
TDOC’s partnership with ICE via the jail enforcement model began Monday, June 16th.
Under this model, 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 lack U.S. citizenship.
The Tennessee Department of Corrections has 14 prisons ‒ 10 run by the department and four by the private company CoreCivic.
Partnerships with departments around Tennessee have increased dramatically in President Donald Trump’s second term. On May 15, the Tennessee Highway Patrol joined the program with a separate task force model.
The Knox County jail has participated in the 287(g) jail enforcement program since 2017.
287(g) continues to grow in Tennessee
The ICE partnership is used to “delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight,” according the ICE website.
Departments and agencies participating in the 287(g) program receive access to ICE resources and training paid for by the federal agency. ICE training includes immigration law and multicultural communication, according to its website.
Agencies that incur costs, including for housing detainees in jails, are eligible for reimbursement.
Before Trump took office in January, Tennessee had only two counties (Knox and Greene) that participated in the 287(g) program.
The proliferation of partnerships means officers with less training are handling immigration enforcement, said Meghan Conley, a University of Tennessee at Knoxville professor and a member of Allies of Knoxville’s Immigrant Neighbors.
“This increases the risk of civil rights violations and financial costs for local governments. ICE benefits by shifting work and accountability to state and local agencies, who bear the costs if mistakes are made,” she said.
Tennessee counties participating in ICE’s 287(g) program
Now, 11 Tennessee sheriff’s offices and two state agencies, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Department of Corrections, are participating.
- Bradley County: jail enforcement model
- Giles County: warrant service officer
- Grainger County: warrant service officer
- Greene County: jail enforcement model
- Hamilton County: jail enforcement model
- Knox County: jail enforcement model
- Macon County: warrant service officer
- Morgan County: jail enforcement model
- Putnam County: jail enforcement model
- Sullivan County: warrant service officer
- Sumner County: warrant service officer
The warrant service officer is a law enforcement officer who serves and executes administrative warrants on immigrants in their agency’s jail, according to the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Good, I hope.