ICE operation in Nashville: Traffic stops with THP lead to arrests. Here's what to know
This story has been updated to include new information.
During a May 5 news conference, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell said the city is working to determine exactly how many people were swept up as part of a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation conducted in Nashville .
As previously reported by the Tennessean the agency partnered with Tennessee Highway Patrol to make 150 traffic stops as part of a "public safety operation" in Nashville, focusing on "areas with a history of serious traffic crashes and suspected gang activity."
The operation, which occurred in the Antioch area surrounding Nolensville Pike and Harding Place during the early morning hours of May 4, led to an unknown number of arrests over the weekend, sparking outcry from impacted families as well as community leaders. Targeted operations are specifically focused on individuals who "threaten public safety or national security" said a statement from ERO New Orleans Field Office Director Mellissa Harper.
According to O'Connell, the city's hands may be tied when it comes to preventing similar operations in the future.
"This is a tough one, because what we saw over the weekend was actions that happened on state routes with no coordination with local officials," O'Connell said. "So yes, I continue to be concerned about the mechanism for these actions, and I think what they've demonstrated is that they can occur at times and locations of their choosing without our involvement."
On May 5, two state representatives and two Metro Nashville Council members sent an official inquiry to Gov. Bill Lee, Commissioner Jeff Long of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security and Colonel Matt Perry of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The inquiry addressed concerns about recent immigration arrests, which they described as "racially targeted stops."
The letter was signed by Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Rep. Shaundelle Brooks, D-Nashville, Metro Nashville Council member Zulfat Suara, and Council member Terry Vo, who also chairs the Immigrant Caucus.
The inquiry highlighted six specific demands which include detailed demographic breakdown of those detained, an explanation of the stops and information on the facilities where detainees were taken.
Community organizations launch 'Belonging Fund,' fundraising campaign to support immigrants
During the news conference, O'Connell also announced the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee's new "Belonging Fund," which launched the same afternoon at cfmt.org/belonging .
Hal Cato, the CEO of the Community Foundation, said the new fund is a partnership with nonprofits including Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors, Conexión Américas and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. Funds could go toward addressing child care and transportation costs, housing assistance and food insecurity. But crucially, O'Connell clarified, the fund won't be intended to support immigration legal services.
O'Connell said it's not yet certain whether the city itself will be able to donate to the new Community Foundation fund.
The Remix TN, an immigrant advocacy group, launched a fundraising campaign to provide support to the families affected by the operation. As of May 6. the campaign has raised over $19,000, meeting 66% of it's 30,000 goal.
"When our neighbors are under attack, we organize and fight back," read a statement online. "Help us ensure family separation does not continue to affect our communities and that we can do as much as we can to reunite families as much as possible."
How many people were detained during the ICE operation in Nashville?
According to a statement, THP troopers made approximately 150 traffic stops in which several drivers were found without valid licenses. It is currently unclear how many people were detained as a result of the traffic stops.
Metro Director of Law Wally Dietz said he's sent a letter to THP asking the agency to identify all of the individuals arrested over the weekend and to provide a list of their pending charges. Dietz said he also planned to send a letter to ICE asking for the same information by the end of the day on May 5.
What agencies were involved during the ICE operation in Nashville? Mayor maintains MNPD was not involved
The Nashville operation included involvement from ICE, THP and Homeland Security Investigations. The Nashville Mayor's office has denied involvement from Metro Nashville Police, though some protesters who demonstrated during the operation contend there were MNPD officers on site.
According to a May 4 statement from the mayor's office , MNPD officers were relieved from the protest at Nashville's ICE office by state law enforcement officers.
O'Connell said events like what happened over the weekend are completely federally driven. He also called the arrests a "really tough moment" for the city, and expressed that he was "heartbroken" on behalf of any families who were affected.
"The trauma inflicted on families is long-lasting, and I'm doing everything in my power consistent with applicable law to protect anyone who calls Nashville home," O'Connell said. "What's clear today is that people who do not share our values of safety and community have the authority to cause deep community harm."
"No MNPD personnel was involved in last night's enforcement action," read O'Connell's statement. "MNPD has no federal immigration authority, is not trained to conduct immigration enforcement, and lacks access to federal immigration databases."
The mayor's office is seeking the names of those detained in the operation.
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition: 'Unlike anything we've ever seen in Nashville'
Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition on Monday said she was shocked by Sunday's operation.
Sherman Luna said her organization saw some ICE enforcement in collaboration with local law enforcement pulling over a handful of cars at a time in Jackson and rural parts of Tennessee under the first Trump Administration, but nothing like this.
"The scale of this is unlike anything we've ever seen in Nashville," she said. "We are continuing to try and identify everyone who's been impacted and ensure that they have the right legal representation."
Sherman Luna said TIRRC was able to identify about 40 people who were either arrested and released or arrested and detained and transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, but dozens more are unaccounted for.
"Our most educated guess is that there's probably over 100 people in Nashville that have been picked up over the last two days for minor traffic incidences and arrested under civil immigration charges," she said.
She said the traffic incidents were all for minor infractions like tinted windows or broken tail lights. She said some were questioned about their tattoos.
"We've heard of mothers who were just trying to get to work who were picked up," she said. "Asylum seekers who hadn't had a chance yet to get a license. It absolutely reeks of racial profiling, the fact that they were at the heart of the immigrant and refugee community."
She said many families have not yet been able to locate their loved ones and that her team is working around the clock to identify those arrested.
"There is a lot of fear, but there's also a lot of resiliency and determination to fight back," she said.
Nashville ICE operation follows passage of controversial immigration bill
The May 4 ICE operation in Nashville aligns with President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on immigration since being re-elected. In January 2025, Tennessee Republicans gave swift passage to an immigration enforcement bill which introduced a statewide immigration enforcement office.
Gov Bill Lee and GOP leadership said the measures were necessary to help Trump enforce his immigration policies.
The legislation outlined the plans for a $5 million office within the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, allowing Lee to tap an enforcement director and incentivize local law enforcement entities to enter into a contract program with federal immigration authorities.
Contributing: Reporter Molly Davis, Melissa Brown and photojournalist Nicole Hester
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: ICE in Nashville: How many people were detained? What we know
