NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee legislature passed a law requiring sheriffs across the state to sign up for 287(g).
That is to further cooperate with ICE in detaining immigrants without legal status.
Many counties already do. Davidson County does not and the sheriff thinks it's all about grandstanding.
"This is all politics. Let's be candid. It's all politics for the media, for advocates, for politicians. It's all politics," said Davidson County sheriff Daron Hall.
He knows a new mandate on immigration enforcement just came down from Tennessee lawmakers.
"So, the legislature just passed legislation that you must sign up for 287(g)."
That is the program that began in 1996 and has expanded since for local authorites to cooperate with ICE to detain immigrants without legal status.
This new state law is designed to expand the number of law enforcement officers empowered to enforce immigration laws.
At this time, 69 of Tennessee's 95 counties are enrolled in 287(g).
Davidson County is not.
"There's a question of whether I'm going to have to do it by law or not... and I've asked my legal director to respond," said Sheriff Hall.
If the answer is yes, the sheriff says he'll sign up, but that it won't change much.
Again, he argues this is all about political optics, and that another state law on the books for the past decade already addressed the issue.
"Right now, if you are booked in jail and you are illegal, your prints will go to ICE and they will check and then send us a detainer," Sheriff Hall said.
Sheriff Hall says there are three tiers under 287(g) -- some more aggressive that others.
He'll choose the so-called Warrant program, which simply requires officers to serve warrants for ICE in the jail.
I asked Sheriff Hall, "You've been cooperating with ICE?"
"100 percent. I have been because of the state law for 10 years," he said.
In a statement released Friday, Sheriff Daron Hall said Metro Legal has advised the new law does not apply to Davidson County:
“This morning, Metro Legal advised me the newly passed legislation regarding immigration enforcement does not apply to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. Nashville-Davidson County is unique under multiple Tennessee state statutes. The requirement to participate in a 287(g) agreement only applies to POST certified sheriffs. We continue to cooperate with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), pursuant to existing Tennessee statutes. Over the past 12 months, 632 individuals, who were arrested on local, criminal charges, were transferred to ICE custody.”
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nick.beres@newschannel5.com
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