Rutherford County sheriff says ICE role limited to jail intake as residents urge opposition to 287(g)

More than a dozen residents pressed Rutherford County officials on Aug. 25 to oppose any expansion of local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying an agreement commonly described as a “287(g)” contract would harm community trust and impose hidden costs. Sheriff Fitzhugh responded in the meeting’s sheriff’s report that the county is operating under a long-standing memorandum of understanding that allows jail intake access to federal databases for people arrested in Rutherford County, and that he will not authorize deputies to enforce immigration laws in the community.

Residents told the Public Safety Committee that deputizing local officers or expanding an ICE relationship would lead to racial profiling, deter crime reporting and shift county resources away from local public safety needs. “Local law enforcement should not be involved with this. Instead, they should focus on tackling crime here in Rutherford County,” said Amanda Hernandez, a Smyrna resident who spoke during the public comment period. John Mac Green, a Murfreesboro lawyer and longtime resident, told commissioners “participation by the RCSO in a $2.87 g contract will … decrease the health, safety, and well-being of the residents of Rutherford County”…