Nashville mayor accused of ‘potential aiding and abetting illegal immigration’

At a Memorial Day press conference, Ogles said, "We’ve heard it: the individuals that the mayor is standing with are murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, sexual predators, child traffickers, the list goes on. Which is why I will always stand on the rule of law and with ICE. And I don’t just stand with ICE, I’ll stand in front of ICE because we the people have had enough."

"I choose my community, my state, and my family over this type of nonsense," the Republican lawmaker continued. "Which is why, due to the remarks of Freddie O’Connell and the potential for aiding and abetting illegal immigration, the Homeland Security and the Judiciary committees will be conducting an investigation into the mayor of Nashville, his conduct, and whether or not federal dollars have been used in criminal enterprise."

Ogles, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that he would be requesting a number of documents and communications from the Mayor’s office, including ones related to the amendment of Executive Order 30, any internal discussions or documents related to ICE enforcement actions in Nashville or Davidson County, and correspondence involving Metro employees and affiliated NGOs regarding the arrest or detention of illegal immigrants in the city or county."

"If you’re helping violent gangs destroy Tennessee by obstructing ICE—you belong behind bars," he wrote.

On May 13, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the results of a weeklong enforcement operation in the Nashville area, which saw the arrests of 196 illegal immigrants, many of whom had long criminal histories. Of those arrested, 95 had prior criminal convictions and pending charges, and 31 had been previously removed from the country. Per The Tennessean, ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol made 468 traffic stops during the operation.

In the midst of the enforcement operation, O’Connell signed an executive order that requires communications between federal immigration authorities and a Metro emergency services department be reported to the mayor’s office within a certain timeframe. Ogles said that this was "an outrageous directive."

Per the New York Post, the Department of Homeland Security called out O’Donnell after the operations and claimed he “stands by pro-illegal policies, claiming that these operations were done by ‘people who do not share our values of safety.’”