What We Do and Don’t Know About Williamson County Immigration Enforcement

None of the Williamson County law enforcement agencies currently partner with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, but political pressure in favor of cooperation is growing, and an agreement is not off the table for the county’s largest agency, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Hughes has been researching the 287(g) agreement with ICE, which would authorize ICE to “delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.”

“We've considered it for months now, because obviously it's a topic that is important to us, and it's been on the horizon,” Hughes told the Williamson Scene in May, adding that he's had meetings specifically focused on a detention program.

“In essence, they wanted to partner with us just to have a place to hold immigrants until they could transport them to New Orleans, and we wanted to be sure that we had all of the information … in the event that it’s something that we wanted to become involved in, and we're continuing to educate ourselves on it,” Hughes continued.

Hughes said that currently the agreement is “not profitable” for WCSO, citing “space and money,” all while the county plans for a new jail and court complex.

“It was a losing proposition. We don't want to be in the business of housing federal prisoners at a cost to the taxpayers that is not at least breaking even,” he said.

“We're going to do what we feel is in the best interest for the safety, the public safety of all of the citizens here in Williamson County, and again, we'll continue to monitor what's going on in our neighboring counties, and we'll continue to educate ourselves on these programs and try to stay abreast of what it is that is in the best interest [of the public].”

In May, District 65 Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) urged “every police chief, every sheriff, every mayor, every county commissioner” to enter into a 287(g) agreement with ICE.

Reeve’s statement came during a press conference with U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, where he announced a House probe into Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell over the city’s stance on ICE enforcement actions.

That call was quickly answered on June 17, when the Fairview City Commission was set to vote on a resolution directing the city manager and police chief to “explore entry” into the agreement with ICE.

The resolution was introduced by Commissioner Don Bufalini, who withdrew it as the meeting began. Despite the last-minute withdrawal, the meeting saw numerous citizens speak out against any potential agreement.

“I do want to apologize if anyone has taken this in any wrong or derogatory way,” Bufalini said.

”It is not the intention at all, once again, even though it’s off the agenda, I want everyone to please read it and understand that this [illegal immigration] affects our entire country. It doesn’t just affect Fairview. It doesn’t just affect Tennessee. It affects each and every one of us.”

Fairview Police Chief Zack Humphreys told the Williamson Scene that FVPD wasn’t involved in the introduction of the resolution, and while Humphreys told Bufalini that he would “research” the agreement, he added, “it is not a priority.”

Bradley, Cumberland, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Hamilton, Knox, Macon, Morgan, Putnum, Sullivan and Sumner Counties all currently have some level of 287g agreement with ICE, as well as Tennessee’s Department of Corrections and Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

As of June 30, Franklin, Grundy and Robertson County have pending applications with ICE for the program.

On Tuesday, a slew of new state laws went into effect, including a bill that rewrote an existing law that makes it a felony to harbor or hide someone who is in the U.S. illegally. The state legislature also passed a law establishing a state-level immigration enforcement agency that provides additional funding to local law enforcement agencies that enter the 287(g) agreement.

This all comes on the heels of the arrest of 196 people in Middle Tennessee by ICE agents in a week-long May operation, in conjunction with THP, and as Nashville has become the epicenter of the nation’s most significant court case in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The operation has resulted in fear through immigrant communities, protests and claims of new arrests, in some instances that turn out to be rumors and some that include more nuance. 

On May 10, a LaVergne man was arrested by Brentwood Police and charged with driving without a license and financial responsibility-insurance, and had an immigration hold placed on him in the Williamson County Jail, but according to WCSO Capt. Becky Coyle, this was not part of an ICE arrest. 

Other arrests have allegedly happened with the people left behind afraid to even speak about the incidents. 

One 45-year-old Franklin woman, who spoke to the Williamson Scene anonymously by telephone out of fear for her and her family’s safety, said that her 46-year-old husband and 28-year-old son were both arrested by ICE agents on the morning of May 18.

The woman, who also did not identify her husband and son by name, spoke in Spanish in a conversation that was translated to English by Franklin Community Church Pastor Luis Sura.

The woman, who also has a daughter, said that her husband and son were both arrested while driving that day in Franklin, and both were then transported to an ICE detention facility in Louisiana, under the allegation that they were illegally present in the US. The woman said that her son has a legal residency status.

In 1999, they immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in order to “give a better life to our families,” first to California before settling in Middle Tennessee. She said they fear crime in Mexico, and said they believed that only criminals would be targeted for arrest by ICE.

“Before that, we were a happy family,” the woman said. “We feel like we were well-protected here in Franklin, and we feel like we were giving our kids the best we could, better education and everything, and we were so happy with our family, and I could have never believed that it was going to happen to us. … My son and my husband are not criminals, so we weren't worried about being detained, so we didn't know it was going to happen to us, because my family, there's no criminals.”

The woman said her husband and son have an attorney, but without details of the defendants, the Williamson Scene is not able to independently verify the arrest and detainment of the two men.

This is in part due to ICE’s unwillingness to confirm if they arrested anyone in Williamson County or provide details on the people arrested during their May operation.

While ICE said in a May 13 news release that “the remaining individuals are in ICE custody awaiting due process before an immigration judge or pending travel arrangements for removal,” the agency refused to provide any details of the arrests, including names and charges.

That information has been public historically and allows the press and the public to track legal proceedings to ensure that due process — a Constitutional right of all people regardless of citizenship status — is being given to defendants.

While ICE would not comment on if agents were operating in Williamson County, THP and all Williamson County law enforcement agencies denied any involvement with alleged ICE actions in the county. They also all denied having any knowledge about ICE operating in the county at all.

While federal agencies are not required to notify local agencies of their operations, it’s common for that communication to exist ahead of or during an operation as a form of professional courtesy.

Pastor Sura told the Williamson Scene that he believes more than 20 people were arrested by ICE in Williamson County in the May operation.

“I can tell you that everybody is afraid. The whole community is freaking out,” Sura said, as he works to connect with affected families.

“Every corner has a church in Middle Tennessee — If we are God's people, why don't we stop this?” Sura said.

“We are not loving our neighbor. We don't care about our neighbor. Oh, we love God, yes, but we don't care about our neighbor, so my message for these people [in Williamson County] is, if you want to love God, love me too.”