ICE Detentions Surge at Nashville Jails Under New State Law - Articles

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Posted by: Azya Thornton on Mar 5, 2025

Immigration enforcement activity at Nashville jails has surged in recent weeks, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increasing detention requests and taking more individuals into federal custody for deportation proceedings, the Nashville Banner reports. In February, ICE agents picked up nearly four times as many people from Nashville jails as they did in the same month last year. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office does not directly contact ICE, but its booking system automatically sends arrest information to the agency. Under a state law passed last year, local law enforcement in Tennessee must honor ICE detainer requests, allowing the agency 48 hours to take an undocumented immigrant into custody. In February 2024, ICE made 33 detainer requests, taking 11 individuals into custody. Last month, the Sheriffs office received 75 requests, with 42 people later picked up by ICE agents.