NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — According to new data from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, detainer requests — or when ICE asks a local law enforcement agency to hold a suspect in jail and let them know before releasing them — increased by 86.5% in Tennessee this year compared to last year.

During that same time, ICE detainer requests in Davidson County increased by 31.8%, the data said.

Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) told News 2 illegal immigration has put a strain on local resources.

“[I was up] in Robertson County just a week or so ago and was told by some of the city leadership there that they are really struggling, even in a small town, with illegal aliens not following local law, not having respect for the law in DUIs and other things, and they asked for additional help," Reeves said.

Reeves has encouraged local law enforcement agencies and sheriffs to enter 287(g) agreements with the federal government, which give local agencies federal powers to help ICE with the deportation process.

There are three kinds of 287(g) agreements, according to ICE's website:

• The jail enforcement model, which is, "designed to identify and process removable aliens — with criminal or pending criminal charges — who are arrested by state or local law enforcement agencies."
• The task force model, which "serves as a force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties."
• The warrant officer model.

“I have focused more on what’s called a warrant service officer agreement, and that essentially allows sheriffs to serve warrants inside of a jail instead of letting folks out of the jail where ICE then has to serve those warrants out in our neighborhoods," Reeves said. "It’s safer, it’s more controlled, and it gets people back to their countries of origin.” 

So far, 27 sheriffs across Tennessee have entered one of the three kinds of 287(g) agreements.

That could explain why a new report by the Prison Policy Initiative ranked Tennessee second in the country for the most ICE arrests inside jails per capita, just behind Texas.

Reeves also credited President Donald Trump's policies for the crackdown on illegal immigration in the Volunteer State.

“I think part of it is that President Trump took office and we've started enforcing immigration laws in a way that never happened under President Biden," Reeves said.

Right now, 287(g) agreements are optional across the state, but Reeves told News 2 he encourages the General Assembly to consider legislation to require certain or all local sheriff's offices to sign one, similar to measures passed in Florida and Texas.

While ICE data showed significant increases in detainer requests in Tennessee and Davidson County, detainer requests in Shelby County remained mostly flat, with a 3.61% increase.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/data-ice-detainer-requests-in-tennessee-up-by-86-5-compared-to-last-year/