The Probe Into Freddie O’Connell

As rumors spread of a focused ICE deportation operation in Nashville, Mayor Freddie O'Connell made a series of decisions that have drawn the attention of federal authorities and resulted in an investigation into whether O'Connell interfered with federal law enforcement operations. A month on, here's how things played out.

May 4

Mayor O’Connell released an official statement regarding immigration enforcement operations that took place in Nashville on May 3 and the early hours of May 4. At the time, it was reported that 84 arrests were made. “This type of federal enforcement action is not focused on making us safer and leaves people in our community fearing any interaction with law enforcement when there is a crime occurring,” said O’Connell. The mayor also clarified that Metro Nashville Police Department was not involved with coordinating the operation, and that he would seek the names of those detained.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition also released a statement demanding transparency and calling the operations cruel and extreme.

May 5 

Mayor O’Connell held a press conference regarding the operations and reiterated that they are seeking the names and charges against those detained. When asked if there was any way the city could alert people to these enforcement activities, he said that they have to be careful to comply with the law, but his administration was looking into it. 

The mayor also announced that Metro joined the Community Foundation in launching the Belonging Fund to support immigrants in Nashville. The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Conexion Americas, and Tennessee Justice For Our Neighbors committed more than $30,000 as initial contributors. It’s worth noting Metro Government awarded TIRRC $1.8M in American Rescue Plan funds in 2022 to “expand critical immigrant legal services in Davidson County.”

The Metro Immigrant Caucus held its own press conference, which included the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition and Tennessee Justice For Our Neighbors. As the chair of the caucus, Councilmember Terry Vo called upon Metro leadership to “clarify our city's role, if any, in these operations, and to recommit to policies that protect, not endanger, our neighbors.”

That same day, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would offer illegals $1,000 and paid travel if they voluntarily self-deport.

May 6

The Department of Homeland Security replied to Mayor O’Connell’s official statement that was posted on Bluesky social media. The DHS included new information about those arrested during operations in Nashville and condemned the Nashville mayor’s response.

“During the operation in Tennessee, ICE agents arrested a convicted child sex predator, a member of Tren de Aragua, an individual convicted of aggravated assault, and multiple aliens with drug charges,” the DHS posted on X. “The Nashville Mayor should want these criminal illegal aliens off American streets. Attacks and demonization of our brave law enforcement is wrong. ICE officers are now facing a 413% increase in assaults. President Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement, the American people voted for it, and DHS is delivering.”

May 7

According to News 2, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors joined a coalition that sent a letter to the ICE field office in New Orleans “calling for transparency and immediate access to counsel.”

Later that day, the Metro Council held a special called committee meeting on Public Health & Safety. After allowing a public comment period where the body heard from despondent and hostile community members, Metro Law Director Wally Dietz went over the sequence of events leading up to Metro’s awareness of the operations.

The council members and those in attendance listened to a recording of a request for service call made on May 1 between a Federal Protective Service agent with the US Department of Homeland Security and an MNPD dispatcher. The request was for extra MNPD patrol detail at Nashville’s ICE facility on May 4 in anticipation of potential protests. During the meeting, the names of the Metro dispatcher and the DHS agent were disclosed. They are still available in the public domain.

Councilmember Zulfat Suara expressed frustration over the mixed signals being sent by Nashville officials, and asked Director Dietz “how Metro can live up to its promise of not separating families.” 

“I want our citizens, when we say something, to believe that's what it is,” she said. “If MNPD and our law enforcement is going to cooperate with ICE, that's fine. Just tell us, then we'll figure it out. But if we're not, then we need to be proactive and intentional about it.”

May 9

During the mayor’s media roundtable, Mayor O’Connell and Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz clarified that there’s really nothing more the city could have done had they known about the immigration enforcement operations in advance. “There is a federal statute about interfering with an enforcement action,” explained Director Dietz. 

Mayor O’Connell announced his update to Executive Order 30, which tightened up the reporting timeline for communication between Metro departments whenever there is an interaction or request initiated by federal immigration authorities. Director Dietz said that Metro’s Legal Department was looking into whether people can warn others about operations. “...It's really an open question whether or not someone can announce in advance that there's an impending enforcement activity,” said the director. “That's something that we are looking into.”

The mayor also said he won’t encourage those living illegally in Nashville to take advantage of the Trump Administration's voluntary deportation incentives. “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,” he said. “We would not want to disrupt that.”

May 13

The Department of Homeland Security released more information about operations conducted alongside 287(g) partners in Nashville, and once again took direct aim at Mayor O’Connell.  “Despite ICE and THP’s success in protecting Americans from these criminal illegal aliens, Mayor O’Connell stands by pro-illegal policies claiming that these operations were done by ‘people who do not share our values of safety,’” the DHS released. “Mayor O’Connell launched the Belonging Fund to provide taxpayer dollars for aliens in Nashville.”

May 14

During a Homeland Security briefing, US Congressman Andy Ogles called upon the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees to investigate whether Mayor O’Connell obstructed federal authorities and their ability to enforce immigration laws. “When federal agents and Tennessee law enforcement risk their lives to detain rapists, traffickers, and gang members, the only appropriate response from our leaders should be gratitude—not obstruction,” he said.

May 15

The Tennessee Star revealed a report of ICE enforcement interactions made public through the Metro Immigration Interactions portal. It disclosed that Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda tailed a “vehicle that she suspected contained immigration officials.”

May 16

Mayor O’Connell would not comment on Congressman Andy Ogles’ request for a federal investigation into his conduct surrounding immigration enforcement in Nashville during Q&A at his media roundtable, but he did scale back his messaging. “I talk closely to our legal counsel almost every day now about the overall landscape,” he said when asked whether he was afraid of any legal ramifications. “We are not looking to obstruct any federal or state law—don't have any reason to be concerned.”

May 26

Ogles held a “Stop The Invasion” press conference at the Tennessee State Capitol  on Memorial Day and announced that the Department of Homeland Security would be investigating Mayor O’Connell.

May 27

Lead Sponsor Terry Vo and 10 other council members filed a resolution shading the recent immigration enforcement activities in Nashville. In celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month, the legislation also includes a call-to-action to “fight against policies that harm our immigrant community.”

May 28 
Congressman Ogles accused Mayor O’Connell of endangering ICE agents by including their personal information on the official Metro Nashville Government website. O’Connell said that including the personal information was a mistake and removed it promptly. 

Councilmember Terry Vo issued a press release on behalf of the Metro Immigrant Caucus calling for the resignation of Councilmember David Benton due to his participation in Congressman Ogles’ “Stop The Invasion” press conference on Memorial Day. During the event, Benton called for an audit of Nashville’s Belonging Fund.

May 29

Nashville was named on a new list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” put out by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. According to the Tennessean, the DHS categorized the cities included as violating federal immigration law. The list has since been taken down by DHS after a flurry of complaints.

According to the Lookout, “a Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs accused O’Connell of ‘harboring’ immigrants without legal status and ‘doxxing’ immigration enforcement agents.” 

May 30

The U.S. House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees sent Mayor O’Connell a letter outlining their investigation into his office. They’ve given the administration until June 13 to send over documents relating to their inquiry, which includes a look at his executive order that directs Metro employees to urgently report all communications with federal immigration officials.

“This Executive Order could have a chilling effect on the ability of local law enforcement to communicate freely and candidly with federal immigration employees,” reads the letter. “In fact, your chief lawyer recently admitted that it was an ‘open question’ whether an individual could legally 'announce in advance that there’s an impending enforcement activity.'”

During the Mayor’s media roundtable that same day, O’Connell said he’s “not particularly concerned” about the probe into his administration’s actions concerning the recent federal immigration enforcement operations in Nashville. The mayor also said that his office plans to “respond appropriately” to all inquiries made by higher authorities and dispelled claims that Nashville is a sanctuary city.