NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that records obtained through a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveal plans to release thousands of migrant detainees into Tennessee, including some convicted of violent crimes. The records, disclosed under a Freedom of Information Act request, show ICE intended to transport single adult detainees from Louisiana facilities to Tennessee, sparking safety concerns among state officials.
Skrmetti’s office received hundreds of pages showing that ICE’s since-abandoned plan included the release of over 7,000 detainees, 30 of whom were classified under ICE’s highest security threat level, with convictions for offenses such as homicide, sexual assault, armed robbery, and drug trafficking. The revelation has prompted an outcry from Tennessee leaders who argue that such actions undermine state safety and autonomy.
Governor Bill Lee and Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty criticized the Biden administration’s immigration policy, stressing the risks posed by releasing detainees with violent records. ICE, however, contended that it assesses individual criminal histories, flight risk, and ties to communities before release, adding that no detainees were ultimately released within Tennessee borders.