Nashville Traffic Stops Spark Protest Amid ICE Detainments

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A public safety operation in Nashville over the weekend led to 150 traffic stops and multiple detainments by federal agents. The operation, conducted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) alongside Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), targeted areas with a record of serious traffic incidents and gang activity.

During the traffic stops on Saturday night, some drivers were found without valid licenses or identification. THP reported that federal agents addressed these matters, including potential immigration violations. Videos circulated online showing THP officers initiating stops, with some ending in detentions.

Witnesses reported seeing individuals, including parents, restrained and placed in unmarked vehicles. “In one instance, I saw someone get detained, put into one of the unmarked vehicles and driven off,” said witness Ashley Warbington.

As news of the operation spread, protests erupted outside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) building in Nashville on Sunday. Families gathered in search of information regarding loved ones believed to be detained during the operation.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell expressed heartbreak over the events, characterizing the detainments as causing unnecessary fear within communities. “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,” O’Connell said.

The Nashville Mayor’s Office emphasized that officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department were not involved in the operations, despite public claims to the contrary. MNPD maintained that they are not trained to enforce federal immigration laws.

The number of individuals detained during the operation remains unclear as efforts to gather more information continue. O’Connell promised to seek accountability for the actions taken during the traffic stops.

Some residents expressed concern for their loved ones, like one protestor who stated, “He has all the documents in rule that he’s legal here; they are working on his status, so I don’t know why he was detained.”

As this ongoing situation develops, community leaders call for transparency regarding local law enforcement’s involvement with federal operations targeting immigrants.