NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Federal and local officials are intensifying scrutiny of Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainments earlier this month.
A congressional letter from the Committee on Homeland Security — chaired by U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee — and the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives confirms a federal investigation into the mayor's response to ICE operations in south Nashville has begun.
The committees state this is part of a federal effort to conduct "oversight of state and local jurisdictions that endanger American communities through efforts aimed at thwarting the work of federal immigration officials."
Since ICE arrested nearly 200 immigrants in Nashville in May, O'Connell has condemned the operation.
"If ICE released the names, you'd probably hear about the father who was stopped as he returned home from buying decorations for his son's birthday party," O'Connell said during a press conference in early May.
On Friday, the mayor said he's committed to Nashville's safety despite these claims, noting that crime is down overall, including homicide rates, which have decreased more than 20%.
"My job is to protect residents. That means both getting violent criminals off the streets and protecting innocent Nashvillians," O'Connell said.
Congressman Andy Ogles took to X on Friday to celebrate the investigation. Ogles has called for this congressional inquiry for weeks, even holding a press conference on Memorial Day.
"When you have this type of reckless rhetoric from a city mayor, from anywhere in the country, but especially here in Nashville, you're putting their lives in harm's way," Ogles said during Monday's press conference.
The congressional letter claims the mayor's actions "threatened to chill immigration enforcement in the City of Nashville of Davidson County." It requests several documents, including communications related to an executive order on May 1, which amended policy to require Metro employees to report any communications from federal immigration authorities to the mayor's office.
The committees also requested all documents and communications about ICE since May 1, as well as all documents between Metro and non-Metro employees related to traffic stops of undocumented people during the same period.
Ogles has accused the mayor of issuing an executive order requiring city agencies to track and report interactions with federal immigration authorities. However, this order was actually issued in January 2024, with a new amendment requiring city departments to report interactions to the mayor's office within one business day. This change followed an incident where a request for extra police at Nashville's ICE facility went unreported.
"It is an executive order that was issued previously under different administrations. We continued it. And what has happened more recently is a technical update, and we constantly again have our legal department reviewing it," O'Connell said.
The mayor maintains he's done nothing wrong.
"I am not particularly concerned. We're going to again, respond appropriately to all inquiries, and we have been guided by full understanding of state and federal law, and will continue to," O'Connell said.
The congressional letter comes a day after the Department of Homeland Security listed Nashville as a sanctuary city. Local lawmakers made similar accusations on Monday.
"When a city declares itself a sanctuary or acts like one, when it refuses to cooperate with ICE, when it shelters those who have broken our laws, that decision doesn't stay contained," Franklin State Rep. Lee Reeves said during Monday's press conference.
O'Connell insists the city complies with state law banning sanctuary cities in Tennessee.
"I'm puzzled about what criteria they use to include Nashville. As I said at the beginning, we are not and never have been a sanctuary city," O'Connell said.
The letter also condemns a community charity fund announced by O'Connell in early May. The mayor says this fund is not utilizing taxpayer funds and relies solely on donations.
Other lawmakers criticized O'Connell for releasing a report about communication between ICE and metro authorities that included some ICE agents' names.
"By releasing the names of federal law enforcement, he handed criminal gangs information on a silver platter that they can use to target these officers," Senator Marsha Blackburn said.
O'Connell says that was a mistake.
"It was never the intent of the executive order for those names to be posted. They were removed as soon as we were made aware that they had been posted. We're working on new safeguards and procedures to avoid it happening again," O'Connell said.
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Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
