“The continued confusion and hyper-political nature of this issue has become a distraction from sheriff’s office priorities”, said Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall. The contract will end on December 1st.
Nashville-Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall announced today effective December 1, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) will no longer contract to house Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees. This move comes after meeting with local advocacy groups, Mayor John Cooper, Metropolitan Council members, and internal stakeholders.
“The continued confusion and hyper-political nature of this issue has become a distraction from sheriff’s office priorities,” Hall said. “The number of individuals detained as a result of this contract is less than one percent of overall jail bookings; however, I spend an inordinate amount of my time debating its validity.”
Since 1996, Metro government, not the DCSO, has received revenue from a council-approved contract to house various federal detainees including ICE. The sheriff’s office is currently in negotiations with the United States Marshal Service (USMS) to remove ICE from that contract. The DCSO, under a renewed council-approved agreement, will continue to house individuals who are in USMS custody.
“Over the past 15 years, I challenge you to find a sheriff’s office whose immigration-related policies have been more responsible. Taking into consideration our important public safety role and our goal of being community-minded, we have always worked to see our policies evolve accordingly. This approach hasn’t always been popular, but responsible. We will now move forward, continuing to focus on significant issues such as decriminalization of mental illness and criminal justice reform.”
-Sheriff Daron Hall
Hall says DCSO’s future ICE interaction will be limited to that which is required by state law.
