Dozens of residents urge Rutherford County commissioners to end 287(g) cooperation with ICE

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Dozens of residents used the Rutherford County Board of Commissioners’ Sept. 11 public-comment period to urge elected leaders to end or not expand the county’s cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under a 287(g) agreement.

Speakers said the agreement undermines trust in local law enforcement and could expose the county to lawsuits, added operating costs and community harm. “I am terrified sometimes of our police officers. I'm a United States citizen and I have to carry 3 forms of identification on me at all times because I worry about my last name,” Rutherford County resident Amanda Hernandez said.

The comments came during the meeting’s public-comment segment after commissioners extended the allotted time so registered speakers could each take two minutes. Residents from across Murfreesboro and Rutherford County — including longtime local attorneys, teachers, students and representatives of immigrant-rights groups — urged commissioners to press the sheriff to withdraw from the arrangement or to adopt county-level limits on cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Why it matters: Multiple speakers said 287(g) arrangements divert local resources to federal immigration enforcement, erode community trust and…