NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — An immigrant rights group is working to determine who was arrested in Nashville ICE operations so they can get legal help and ensure due process is protected.

More than eighty people were arrested by ICE over the weekend in Davidson County. However, their names have not been released, leaving families and attorneys in the dark.

"TIRRC is trying to communicate with everyone who says that they have a loved one that they haven't heard from," said Allen King, legal services director at TIRRC. "We are building that database of people that we are hopefully going to find and represent."

Five Tennessee based organizations—including Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR), Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors (TNJFON), Latino Memphis, and Community Legal Center (CLC)— have sent a letter to ICE's New Orleans Field Office calling for transparency and immediate access to counsel.

"So we can see where they are being held and we can schedule some interviews with them just to screen them for any possible forms of immigration relief to possibly get them on the path to a status or even just get them out of detention," Director of the Immigrant Justice Program at Community Legal Center, Colton Bane, said.

"We are actively coordinating with these families to provide legal representation to those detained," the letter reads in part.

The one-page letter describes how on Sunday, an attorney with TIRRC was blocked from speaking with three detainees, raising concerns about due process.

"The detained individuals now face significant practical barriers to communicating with counsel from detention in Louisiana," a subtitle in the letter reads.

The biggest concern is due process. Attorneys told News 2 it is not uncommon to see rushed proceedings and detainees feeling pressured to sign "self-deportation" forms, often without legal counsel or language support. 

"They do not read or speak English, but they are being made to sign this form that would essentially deport them back to their country of origin or even to a country they have never been to before," Senior Staff Attorney with Latino Memphis, Skye Austin, said.

"Sadly, there really isn't much we can do at that point," Bane expressed. "It is really hard to overcome the waiving of rights."

Despite ICE claiming it targets people with violent criminal histories, advocates said the arrests appear broader.

"I think the biggest misconception is that 'A' these people are criminals, right?" Austin said. "That is a huge one. But then 'B,' that they automatically have access to or can get hold of representation, and that due process is being served, that is not happening."

"Any immigrant, whether they have a pending application with CIS or the court or not, is going to be a target, and that frightens me because what is the point of immigration law if you are not going to abide by it?" Austin added.

If and when the names are released on ICE's portal, they said they can start notifying families and preparing to defend their case as quickly as possible.

"Try to apply for the first immigration bond and then, if possible, find representation for them to apply for other forms of immigration relief," King said.

"There's still a fight to be had even when someone is detained; a lot of people think that is the end of the road, but it is not," Bane concluded.

If the recent ICE operations have affected you or a family member, TIRRC urges you to call its resource line at 615-414-1030 for legal information and resources. The coalition also shared this link to offer a review of constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement or ICE.

To donate to The Belonging Fund, an effort to support Nashville immigrants during moments of crisis, follow this link.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/tennessee-advocates-demand-ice-release-the-names-of-those-detained/