NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Around 80% of those arrested by ICE in Tennessee this year have either had a criminal conviction or a pending criminal charge, according to new data from the federal government.

The new numbers, obtained through a public records lawsuit and released by the Deportation Data Project at the University of California, Berkeley, provide the first real look at how President Trump's immigration enforcement plans are playing out across the country, including in Tennessee.

According to the data, the majority of ICE arrestees have had a criminal background, which doesn't shock state Republican lawmaker, Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin).

“It’s no real surprise to me because President Trump has indicated that he is after the criminal illegal aliens in the country, so it doesn’t surprise me that the professional officers of ICE are doing exactly what they said they would do," Rep. Reeves said.

ICE agents aren't holding back, more than doubling the arrests they make per day in Tennessee this year, compared to last year, increasing from 6.8 arrests per day in 2024 to 16.9 arrests per day this year.

According to the numbers, ICE has arrested 2,695 people in TN this year through June 10. Of those arrested, 44.5% were convicted criminals, 35.7% had a pending criminal charge, and 19.7% had no criminal record, the data says.

However, the first weekend of May turned the trend on its head.

On May 2 and 3, the Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted traffic stops in an area of Nashville with a predominantly Hispanic population while ICE agents followed along. According to the data, almost 70% of those arrested by ICE statewide that weekend had no criminal record.

At the time, Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) accused law enforcement of profiling.

"The reality is that all evidence tends to point towards the fact that they racially and ethnically profiled individuals in South Nashville seeking to carry out the role of the federal government," Rep. Clemmons said in May.

However, Rep. Reeves told News 2 those arrested without a criminal record still broke the law by being in the country illegally.

“They know they're not here legally, and they’ve either overstayed a visa or crossed the border, so I don’t know at this point that there’s much that can be done to bout that, maybe there is in the future, but that’s part of solving the problem that’s been exacerbated in the Biden years," Rep. Reeves said. 

Rep. Reeves hopes more law enforcement agencies enter 287(g) agreements, a partnership with the federal government that gives local police and deputies more authority to enforce federal immigration laws.

“The ability to identify criminal illegal aliens inside our prisons and serve them warrants inside the prisons is a clear win for Tennessee citizens, so that doesn’t have to happen in our neighborhoods," Rep. Reeves said.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/tn-ice-arrests-data/