Hiding in the Ledger

Tens of millions of dollars are dished out to nonprofits in Metro’s budget every year. This time around, the spotlight has been on the $735,000 contribution to the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition. Public scrutiny has grown over whether the money will go toward legal representation or advocacy for illegal aliens. Same goes for the $718,000 that went to Justice for Our Neighbors Tennessee.

When taking a closer look at a few other nonprofits that made it into this year’s $3.8 billion budget, there are a few more funds that could be going toward illegals hiding in the ledger.

Eviction counsel

The substitute budget included a $2.475 million grant for the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association—$1.275 million more than the mayor’s budget. The nonprofit primarily provides free legal assistance to low- and middle-income Davidson County residents facing eviction.

“Although the terror of ICE raids have been front and center for many immigrant households, it is important to remember that you as a tenant have the right to live and rent without fear, regardless of citizenship status,” reads a social media post directing people to NHBA.

Domestic Abuse

Back in November 2024, an uptick in domestic violence cases across Davidson County sparked a string of special called meetings.

During one of the sessions, Attorney General Glen Funk shared that the immigrant population is overrepresented in certain “roommate violence” cases, while Assistant District Attorney Christina Johnson explained the “tragedy that occurs” when illegal immigrants detained in domestic violence situations are deported once their status is known.

In an effort to apply a “more nuanced” approach to policing domestic violence, an early intervention program was set up through the YWCA to help preemptively divert people from the judicial system.

It’s worth noting that the council increased the mayor’s $275,000 grant for the YWCA to $375,000 in its substitute budget. The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee, which provides civil legal assistance to undocumented immigrants if they are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or are torture survivors among its services, received $2.475 million.

The Mary Parrish Center, which helps survivors of interpersonal violence (domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking) regardless of immigration status, received $2.05 million.

Both allocations were almost double the mayor’s original proposals.

Illegal and vulnerable

Mayor Freddie O’Connell would rather Nashville’s illegal population hide out and hope for a change in the tide come the next election cycle than take the Trump administration up on its voluntary self-deportation program.

“Generally know that we're focused, especially after we've seen Imagine Nashville, and knowing that particularly our foreign-born residents have a very measurably higher level of belonging in this city, we would not want to disrupt that,” said O’Connell during a media roundtable last May.

At the time, the Department of Homeland Security was offering undocumented immigrants a $1,000 stipend and a free plane ticket to return to their home countries. Instead of running the risk of permanent deportation, those who choose to voluntarily self-deport are deprioritized for detention and preserve the potential option for legal re-entry in the future.

The program is ongoing, and earlier this year the Trump administration sweetened the deal. Eligible non-criminal individuals illegally present in the U.S. who self-deport get a free flight home, a $2,600 exit stipend, and forgiveness of unpaid civil fines.

Though there’s no guarantee of return or future legal status, the administration maintains that individuals who do not self-deport will face aggressive removal and will lose any future possibility of ever returning legally to the U.S.