In the heart of Berclair on the evening of Nov. 18, a traffic stop for a broken license plate light left two young children without their family.
Tennessee Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations officers stopped a banged-up black hatchback at an intersection in Berclair around 8:15 p.m. After the driver and passenger were asked for their identification, the stop became an immigration status check. It was just a matter of minutes before the men were handcuffed in the state trooper’s vehicle under HSI custody.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” a neighbor yelled. She was one of several community members who had gathered on the lawn of a nearby church to watch and document the scene…