County Fight Contested

Davidson County TN — ICE-THP joint operation profiled Nashville immigrants, THP later rejected ICE

Davidson, TN FIPS 47037

Current status: May 2025 'Operation Flood the Zone' (ICE-THP): 600+ traffic stops in immigrant neighborhoods over 6-7 nights, ~196 arrests. Investigation revealed profiling and demeaning behavior. THP subsequently rejected all further ICE partnership requests (confirmed March 2026). TIRRC public-records lawsuit filed Aug 2025 in Davidson County Chancery; state 'under litigation' per Commissioner Long. April 2026: Tennessee legislature passed mandatory 287(g) bill (deadline Jan 1, 2027); Metro Legal advised Sheriff Daron Hall the law does not bind DCSO because he is not POST-certified. Mayor Freddie O'Connell's Executive Order 30 (mandatory ICE-interaction reporting) remains in force despite congressional investigations.

The Fight

In May 2025, ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted a six-night joint operation in Nashville’s Latino neighborhoods, executing more than 600 traffic stops and detaining between 40 and 100 people. Investigations by the Nashville Banner revealed the operation involved profiling suspected immigrants and contradicted law enforcement claims about targeting criminals for public safety.

The fallout was significant: THP subsequently rejected all further ICE partnership requests, and the operation became a defining scandal of Tennessee’s immigration enforcement expansion.

Key Details

The May 2025 operation

Duration: 6 nights in May 2025
Traffic stops: 600+
Detained: 40-100 people
Location: South Nashville immigrant-rich neighborhoods
Agencies: ICE + Tennessee Highway Patrol

Body camera footage showed demeaning behavior during traffic stops
Officers used pejorative language toward detainees
Detainees were marked with numbers as part of an apparent contest to track which officers made the most arrests
ICE and THP inflated safety claims to justify the operation
The operation specifically targeted immigrant communities, not criminal activity

THP rejection of ICE

THP Colonel Matt Perry: “We’ve done one and only operation, and it was last May”
ICE “periodically reached out to request participation” after the operation but THP declined
Commissioner Jeff Long told lawmakers his agency would investigate misconduct, and connected THP’s decision to stop joint operations to troopers’ experiences during the Nashville operation

Broader Nashville enforcement trends

ICE detainer requests surged in Nashville under Trump — nearly 4x in Feb 2025 vs. Feb 2024
ICE arrested 6,251 people statewide between Jan 20 and Oct 15, 2025
73% of Jan-May 2025 arrests occurred in jails and lockups
Before Jan 2025: 23% of detainees had aggravated felony convictions; after: only 11%
December 2025: Reports of renewed ICE activity near Nashville businesses (SIP Cafe)

Timeline Updates (2025-2026)

Aug 15, 2025 — TIRRC sues THP for withheld records

The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition filed suit in Davidson County Chancery Court alleging THP and the Department of Safety violated the Tennessee Public Records Act by denying, redacting, or delaying production of video, dispatch logs, and call data tied to “Operation Flood the Zone.” TIRRC notes THP “implausibly denied the existence” of certain records. The complaint also alleges the Department of Safety claimed it was withholding CAD records at the request of Davidson County DA Glenn Funk, but Funk publicly stated he was invoking no such privilege. (Tennessee Lookout, Aug 19, 2025; TIRRC press release)

Banner published two-part exposé documenting demeaning conduct, pejoratives, “marking” of detainees as part of an internal arrest contest, and inflated public-safety claims. Only ~14% of 607 incident reports gave a reason for the initial traffic stop. Commissioner of Safety Jeff Long told lawmakers the state was “under litigation” and largely declined to address officer-conduct questions. (Nashville Banner, Feb 19 / Feb 27, 2026)

Mar 9, 2026 — THP confirms it has rejected ICE overtures

THP Colonel Matt Perry: “We’ve done one and only operation, and it was last May.” Long connected the decision to troopers’ experiences during the Nashville operation. (Tennessee Lookout, Mar 9, 2026)

Apr 21-23, 2026 — Tennessee mandatory 287(g) bill clears legislature

The Tennessee House (71-25) and Senate passed legislation requiring every county sheriff to enter a 287(g) agreement (jail, warrant-service, or task-force model) by Jan 1, 2027 or risk losing state funding. Bill awaits Gov. Bill Lee’s signature. Part of the broader GOP “Immigration 2026” agenda. (Tennessee Lookout; WPLN; Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Apr 28-29, 2026 — Davidson County exemption announced

Per Metro Legal guidance to Sheriff Daron Hall, the new mandate does not bind DCSO because the 287(g) requirement applies only to POST-certified sheriffs, and Hall — who runs Metro’s jails but lacks general policing authority under Metro’s unique consolidated charter — is not POST-certified. Hall publicly called the new law “all politics” while noting DCSO already cooperates with ICE under existing Tennessee statutes (632 transfers in the prior year). Hall is on the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary ballot for reelection. (WKRN; Nashville Banner, Apr 28, 2026; NewsChannel 5)

May 4, 2026 — O’Connell commits to reelection, defends Executive Order 30

Mayor Freddie O’Connell confirmed (Axios Nashville) he will run for reelection. He continues to defend Executive Order 30, which requires Metro employees — including police and fire — to report any interaction with federal immigration authorities within 24 hours. Two congressional committees are investigating O’Connell’s conduct during and after the May 2025 operation. (Axios Nashville; WKRN)

Cross-Reference: TN Federal Non-Disclosure Directive

Search did not surface a Tennessee-specific federal non-disclosure directive parallel to the FL/TX directive Madan documented. The closest analogue is THP/Department of Safety withholding records under invocation of “litigation hold” and (disputed) prosecutorial privilege — currently being challenged in TIRRC v. THP. Flag for Tom Kelleher / cross-investigation review: Tennessee’s stonewalling pattern is being executed at the state-agency level, not (yet visibly) under a federal directive.

Sources

This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.

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