NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nearly 600 “noncitizen” immigrants processed at the Southwest border said Middle Tennessee was their intended destination should they be released into the U.S., according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The City of Franklin told News 2 it received the letter last fall; Metro Nashville also received the letter, according to a spokesperson.
In the letter, DHS wrote about its “longstanding practice” under Republican and Democratic Administrations of conditionally releasing noncitizens who have been fully screened and vetted, including those processed for expedited removal, those determined to have a credible fear, and those otherwise placed in removal proceedings before an immigration judge.
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The letter said at the time of their initial encounters with DHS, 573 migrants reported that they would go to Middle Tennessee if they are released into the U.S. The majority of those immigrants were from Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico, according to the letter.