MURFREESBORO, Tenn (WTVF) — Rutherford County has become the latest Middle Tennessee jurisdiction to partner with federal immigration authorities through the 287(g) program, despite vocal opposition from community members who gathered outside the county courthouse to protest the decision.
The program allows local law enforcement officers to take on some of the same duties as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, including serving civil immigration warrants inside jails and making enforcement stops. About 30 Tennessee law enforcement agencies now participate in the federal program.
"I am an American citizen, but this is a personal issue that concerns me because I'm Mexican American and I am deeply embedded in the Latino community here," Ana Karina Lorenzana DeWitt said.
The 287(g) program gives local law enforcement federal immigration powers, such as checking jail records and serving ICE detainers. Rutherford County is entering a memorandum of understanding with ICE, building on what the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center has done with ICE since 1996. The new agreement will allow deputies to access a federal database.
When foreign-born inmates are booked into the detention center, staff contacts ICE to determine if there is a detainer from the federal government. If ICE determines there is a detainer, deputies serve it and ICE decides what to do with the inmate.
"We do not arrest people for immigration," Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said. "We never have and we never will."
Protesters gathered outside the Rutherford County Historic Courthouse for the second time since August, voicing opposition to the sheriff's decision to join the program.
"A lot of these people are just trying to make better lives for themselves or their children… it's not really fair to them to be deported without a trial, without being able to exercise their rights," DeWitt said.
At least 30 state and local law enforcement agencies now participate in 287(g), representing a sharp increase since the start of the year.
In August, Fitzhugh stressed he was not entering into a contract with ICE for broader immigration enforcement.
"I don't have deputies going out and enforcing immigration laws. I vowed we're not gonna do that. I'm not gonna sign a contract to do that," Fitzhugh said.
Outside the courthouse, supporters and opponents made their cases. Kumar Sangaran supports the 287(g) program.
"Because if you're here illegally without any paperwork and if you're in jail, you should be deported," Sangaran said. "Just because the last administration opened the border, it doesn't apply in this country."
Others argued that immigrants deserve due process.
"They have given so much to us… I've seen people volunteer… they're cleaning your houses, your schools, working in restaurants, making your food," DeWitt said.
As of now, ICE has signed more than 1,000 memorandums of agreement for 287(g) programs covering 40 states.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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