Advocates Decry Racial Profiling In Nashville After Dozens Are Detained In ICE Operation

Dozens of people living in predominantly Latino neighborhoods in Nashville, Tennessee, were detained and transferred to out-of-state immigration detention centers on May 4 following a joint operation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, local media reported.

The operation, which included approximately 150 traffic stops, was carried out in an area the Tennessee Highway Patrol said has "a history of serious traffic crashes and suspected gang activity."

According to the Nashville Banner, immigration officials detained between 40 and 100 individuals. Two people who were at the scene told the outlet that large charter buses transported at least three groups of detainees from a nearby ICE field office to a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana for processing.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition was among the organizations that condemned the operation.

"Arbitrarily rounding up parents on their way home and workers traveling to their jobs does not make Nashville safer or stronger," Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of TIRRC, said in a statement. "Instead, it shatters families, erodes trust in law enforcement, and leads to fear, trauma and isolation that weakens the collective fabric of our community."

Sherman Luna also labeled the operation as discriminatory.

"This operation reeks of racial profiling and unconstitutional discrimination," she said. "We demand transparency from all levels of law enforcement on the nature and scope of this operation as we fight to protect the rights of all who live and work in our community, regardless of their immigration status."

Similarly, in an Instagram post, state Rep. Jason Powell — who represents the district where the raids occurred — said he had never seen a Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicle "working on the streets" of his district before. Powell said he plans to seek answers from THP and Gov. Bill Lee.

Ashley Warbington, a volunteer with The Remix Tennessee, told the Banner that ICE's presence was first observed around 1:30 a.m. She said she spent three hours monitoring the traffic stops and believed they appeared "random or maybe racially profiling."

In a statement to the Banner, THP described the activity as a "public safety operation" that resulted in approximately 150 traffic stops with "a few arrests for outstanding warrants," adding that drugs and weapons were also recovered from individuals suspected of gang affiliation.

As activists gathered outside the ICE field office, witnesses reported that two buses were used to transport detainees. One of the buses bore Louisiana Department of Transportation decals, suggesting the detainees were being moved to a detention center in southern Louisiana.

Witnesses said three groups of about 10 to 15 detainees each were escorted onto the buses. Some also reported that detainees were told they would not be allowed to contact legal counsel or family members until after arriving in Louisiana.

ICE declined to confirm the number of detainees or their current location. In a statement, the agency said its operations are focused on individuals "who threaten public safety or national security."

"Protecting the safety and security of our communities remains a top priority for ICE," said New Orleans Field Office Director Mellissa Harper. "These efforts help ensure that our neighborhoods remain safe and that immigration laws are enforced."