NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The sheriff in Tennessee’s largest city says his office will stop contracting to house detained immigrants for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Dec. 1, calling the issue a distraction.
Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall’s announcement Tuesday comes amid continued backlash from critics of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Tensions have simmered locally due to recent high-profile run-ins with ICE agents and the immigrant community in Nashville.
The Democratic sheriff defended the way his office has handled the immigration issue, saying his “approach hasn’t always been popular,” but it’s been responsible. Going forward, his office plans to limit interactions with ICE to what state law requires.
“The continued confusion and hyper-political nature of this issue has become a distraction from sheriff’s office priorities,” Hall said in a news release. “The number of individuals detained as a result of this contract is less than one percent of overall jail bookings; however, I spend an inordinate amount of my time debating its validity.”
Immigrant rights advocates cheered the move for the liberal-leaning Southern city in a Republican-led state.