NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee Democrats are calling for accountability after joint reporting by NewsChannel 5, the Nashville Banner, Lighthouse Reports and Mother Jones, exposed what some have called blatant racial profiling during a Tennessee Highway Patrol and ICE immigration operation in Nashville.
State Sen. Jeff Yarbro and State Rep. John Ray Clemmons have been among the most vocal since this reporting was first published, which should come as no surprise considering they represent the stretch of Nashville hardest hit by this operation.
"When you see the video of them and really see it firsthand, I think it's a whole other level of sadness and anger," Clemmons said.
We’ve heard those two words used often in the fallout from this reporting, but Yarbro and Clemmons say the word “accountability” deserves just as much consideration. They know, as state lawmakers, that they have no jurisdiction over ICE, so they’ve taken the approach of making sure no one turns away from what these videos have shown.
Clemmons described what he saw in the footage as a systematic effort to target people based on their appearance.
"It looks like they're clearly just running an operation, pulling over everybody they can for any reason they can and then treating individuals differently once they've pulled them over based on the color of their skin," Clemmons said.
Our reporting reviewed more than 50 hours of footage and uncovered multiple traffic stops where troopers pulled drivers over for bent license plates, a headlight out or dark tint.
Some drivers were given warnings even after driving well over the speed limit. Meanwhile, troopers forced anyone who spoke broken English to explain where they were born, and their legal status before demanding passengers do the same.
"Blatantly racially profiling, stopping people for pretextual things, using a permanent marker to tag their catch. There were people who got caught up in a system where they were trying to do the right thing and have never violated the criminal laws of this state, and we treated them worse than we treat criminals," Yarbro said.
When asked about the reporting, Yarbro said many lawmakers across the aisle claim they had either not read the articles or watched the videos. That includes Gov. Bill Lee.
"I guess pretending ignorance is better than saying that whatever happened here is okay," Yarbro said.
The only statement from THP at the time was written before our reporting was published. It was lawmakers who later raised their own questions during committee hearings.
Rep. Bob Freeman of Nashville was among the Democrats who confronted THP leadership during those hearings. Freeman questioned Col. Matt Perry and Commissioner Jeff Long about troopers targeting those with accents and ICE agents marking people as if it were a competition.
"Are you concerned how this kind of behavior tarnishes the image of the highway patrol?" Freeman said.
"We don't condone that. Troopers did not do that, and if something comes out along the lines that they did, then we will handle it accordingly," Perry said.
Perry told the committee that troopers conducting these stops did so according to policy. There was no mention, however, of the several minutes of footage in which troopers were seen muting audio on their body cameras — preventing us from hearing some conversations between troopers and ICE agents.
"Troopers, I'm sure said some insensitive things to each other talking to other police officers, but it was still a probable cause traffic stop," Perry said.
Perry also said he believes the media coverage has had an effect on troopers.
"I do think some of this media stuff has probably affected troopers, and even if people aren't saying it to them, they're feeling it," Perry said.
As Republican state Rep. William Lamberth began praising troopers for their work during the hearing, a chorus of protesters interrupted him. Lamberth has faced criticism for continuing to pursue bills that some say have unfairly targeted immigrants.
"I'm sick and tired of the politics of this issue, because there are lives that are being saved by this commissioner," Lamberth said.
Democrats say those same politics forced troopers to take part in an operation they had never conducted before and have refused to participate in since. Those politics are now driving new legislation that would require all state law enforcement to cooperate with ICE operations and make records — including the footage we published — confidential.
"When the government doesn't want you to know what its law enforcement is doing, I mean you don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to think that's a dangerous recipe," Yarbro said.
Lamberth was among Republican leaders who presented a long list of immigration-related bills written with guidance from the Trump administration. Later in the hearing, Lamberth asked Long whether he would investigate any wrongdoing by his troopers.
"If there is anything that you find has a factual basis that violates policies or procedures of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, will you investigate it and hold those folks accountable?" Lamberth said.
"Yes, and I promise this committee I will hold them responsible," Long said.
Clemmons said accountability must start with Lee and those he says willingly volunteered THP while refusing to acknowledge the fallout.
"When the law is ignored and the Constitution was openly violated, none of us are safe, and that's my frustration," Clemmons said.
THP has requested additional funding to add at least 120 more troopers to its ranks. When asked whether that money would fund more immigration enforcement operations, Perry said the request is based only on miles driven and population growth — not in preparation for more immigration enforcement.
Connect with our partners on this project on Facebook: Nashville Banner, Lighthouse Reports, Mother Jones
License to Profile, Lighthouse Reports
Lighthouse Reports in partnership with Mother Jones, the Nashville Banner, Nashville Noticias, NewsChannel 5 and the Institute for Public Service Reporting spent six months collecting and analyzing data, including thousands of pages of ICE documents, hundreds of criminal court records and Tennessee Highway Patrol incident reports.
Tennessee Said Yes to ICE—and Turned Into a Deportation State, Mother Jones
The May operation in Nashville could become a template for future incursions into Democrat-run cities in Republican-controlled states. For nearly a week in early May, state troopers roved the city’s Latino neighborhoods at night, with ICE officers riding shotgun and undercover vehicles following behind, leaving fear and panic in their wake.
‘Huntin’ Time’ — How ICE and Troopers Targeted Immigrants, Inflated Safety Claims, Nashville Banner
An analysis of immigration records and more than 50 hours of footage contradicts law enforcement arrest statistics and claims that the operation was about targeting criminals to improve public safety, showing fewer arrests than reported by ICE and a pattern of profiling suspected immigrants. (Leer este artículo en español.)
‘My Life Has Been a Mess’ — The Aftermath of May 2025 Highway Patrol, ICE Operation, Nashville Banner
The Banner contacted those deported to El Salvador, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Mexico and beyond; their family members remaining in Nashville; and U.S. citizens caught up in the operation to better understand the role of the highway patrol and the experiences of those detained. (Leer este artículo en español.)
Risky, High-Speed Chases Explode Under Memphis Safe Task Force, Institute for Public Service Reporting, Memphis
An investigation by the Institute for Public Service Reporting found the Safe Task Force surge has created public safety threats of its own with dozens of risky, at times accident-triggering vehicle pursuits, often initiated following infractions as minor as a missing headlight or a broken taillight or driving without a seatbelt.
