NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nashville now finds itself on a list that includes Los Angeles, Chicago and a handful of states as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified Music City as a sanctuary city.

The list was "created to identify sanctuary jurisdictions, which are determined by factors like compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens," according to DHS.

The determination by DHS could lead to a felony charge because there is a Tennessee law that criminalizes sanctuary city policies.

DHS is putting politicians on notice to comply with federal law as "sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in peril."

Nashville is the only Tennessee city on the list with Shelby County as the only county to make the list.

Each jurisdiction on the list will reportedly receive formal notification of its non-compliance with federal statutes. DHS is demanding these jurisdictions immediately review and revise policies to align with federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens.

A metro document released this week detailed 35 immigration-related interactions between Metro police and federal agencies. As of Thursday, all names have been removed from the public version of the report

The move to make that information public is criticized by some Tennessee lawmakers.

News 2 reached out to Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office for comment on the document changes and the growing controversy. We have yet to hear back. News 2 has also reached out to Metro Legal and the Tennessee Attorney General for comment on Nashville’s appearance in Homeland Security’s list, but there has been no response yet.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/homeland-security-identifies-nashville-as-sanctuary-city/