ICE Out of Tennessee
Arguably the most alarming aspect to how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates under the Trump administration is just how little we actually know.
Yes, ICE officers have killed American citizens - i.e., Renee Good and Alex Pretti - in circumstances so dubious that even prominent conservative voices like Bill O’Reilly, Joe Rogan, and TN House Majority Caucus Leader Jeremy Faison have criticized the administration’s tactics. But near the end of February we only just learned they killed another American citizen in Texas, months before the killings in Minneapolis. Who else have they unjustly killed?
We also know their arrest numbers have been enormous since Trump took office in 2025, but Secretary Kristi Noem of the Dept. Homeland Security has provided misleading statistics to Congress and has repeated these claims on social media. We can be relatively sure that at least 43,000 people have been locked up in its rapidly-growing and hastily-constructed detention camps and facilities. We also know the conditions are inhumane, and elected Congresspeople have been denied access to conduct oversight on these facilities (which has led to emergency legal maneuvers that have still not yet been resolved).
In Knox County, the Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) has given contradictory data to what independent expert researchers have found, for both the number of people arrested and the cost to the taxpayers for holding these people in the local jail. The number the KCSO has provided is 964 people held as ICE detainees in 2025 - less than a third of what has been estimated by local experts. On top of that uncertainty, WBIR reports that it costs $140/day to house someone in the Knox County Jail, but ICE contracts only reimburse for a range of $83-114/day. Even in the most generous calculation, that’s at least $25,000 in tax-payer dollars that are unaccounted for.
This is particularly unacceptable, given that ICE became the largest and highest-funded federal law enforcement operation in history with a staggering increase in funding by 633% to $85.1 billion in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” In other words, ICE has a bigger budget than many of the militaries of other countries, and has enough roll-over cash to stay funded through FY2029 even if the government shuts down.
The vast majority of Americans do not want this.
The polling on what is arguably Trump’s foremost policy platform has shifted to the left in numbers large enough to swing safe seats - and indeed, the 2025 special and local elections proved this to be true. Including in Tennessee, where Representative Aftyn Behn swung a “safe” red seat to the left by double digits in an election described as a “harbinger.”
Tennesseans are fighting back as best as we can. Across the state, students have been leading walk outs - in Nashville, Bristol, Knox County and more - to call for an end to the militarization of our cities.
The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimates that there are 186,000 Tennesseans who are undocumented, have expired visas, or are DACA recipients. That’s about 6.5% of our state’s population. And even according to the data presented by the optics-obsessed Dept. of Homeland Security - which we can be sure is presented as favorably as possible - less than half of the people arrested in Tennessee have criminal convictions or pending charges.
“You don’t want militarized people in the streets just roaming around, snatching people up, many of which turn out actually be U.S. citizens that just don’t have their papers on them. Are we really going to be the Gestapo? Where’s your papers? Is that what we’ve come to?”
For Tennesseans who want to join the fight, it’s important to be aware of your rights and resources:
Know Your Rights and Safety Information:
Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) provide “Know Your Rights” guides for encounters with immigration agents, explaining legal protections and what to do if ICE approaches you or your family. (ACLU, Know Your Rights: Immigrants’ Rights)Community Hotlines and Legal Support:
Groups such as NextCity have compiled contact information for ICE watch hotlines and immigrant support organizations that can provide real-time assistance and legal referrals.
In Tennessee, we have multiple options:
Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRCC) has grown from an informal network of community leaders into a legislative advocacy-based coalition fighting for immigrant rights in the Southeast. They are also offering a hotline number. Call (615-833-0384) if you see ICE in your neighborhood or community.
Vecindarios 901 is a newly formed rapid response network looking for volunteers and offering a hotline for Tennesseans. If you see ICE in your neighborhood or community, call their hotline at 901-329-7979. To volunteer with Vecindarious 901 rapid response network, fill out thisform.
Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) is a non-profit law firm fighting for the dignity, safety, and inclusion of the most marginalized immigrants through legal representation and advocacy. They’ve created thisresource to help find a loved one who has been detained by ICE.
Protest Safety Tips:
Advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign offer guidance on preparing for peaceful protests, including how to stay safe, understand your rights, and plan actions responsibly.
Our country was built by immigrants and born in protest. We reject militarized policing, cruel and unusual punishment, and attacks on free speech. The Trump administration is using fear, chaos and violence to distract from historically unprecedented corruption — but the majority stands with us. .
Stay safe out there.
