Residents press Sumner County for more transparency on 287(g) data

Several residents used the commission’s public-comment period to demand clearer reporting about Sumner County’s participation in the 287(g) immigration program and to press for numbers and explanations in future sheriff’s reports.

Mandy Cook of Hendersonville asked the commission to “urge the sheriff to include a report on our 287(g) agreement during his next sheriff’s report,” saying the public needs to know whether the county is getting a cost benefit or becoming dependent on related funds. “We are seeing really alarming numbers,” she said, and requested that future sheriff’s reports include the program’s costs and impacts.

Trey of Gallatin cited the Tennessee District Attorney General’s 2025 immigration-crime report and said it lists 273 immigrant arrests in Shelby County versus 698 in Sumner County, arguing the disparity is alarming for a county that is much smaller. “That should be alarming to all of us in this room,” Trey said, and called for transparency about the sheriff’s partnership with federal immigration authorities.

Samantha Primrose said she did not want to jump to conclusions but wanted clarity: “Based on this report … I find these numbers concerning but don't want to jump to any conclusions. That is why I'm requesting more clarity and transparency around this issue and the sheriff's report going forward.”

John Wallace, another commenter, criticized a prior public claim that 48% of crime was committed by undocumented immigrants and said his review suggested a far smaller share. “He’s only off by 46%,” Wallace said, adding that he sees about 2% of crime attributed to so-called illegal immigrants and urging federal policy changes such as a ‘Pathway to Citizenship.’

In response to the public comments, the speaker identified in the record as the sheriff said Sumner County is operating under “the warrant service officer model” and that 287(g) is applied when a person is arrested, brought to the Sumner County jail, fingerprinted and matched against an administrative immigration warrant. “No one is being stopped because they're Hispanic, and no one is being arrested because they're Hispanic,” the sheriff said, describing the process and saying the department cooperates with federal authorities when an administrative warrant exists.

A later resident who had reviewed the sheriff’s arrest records in the department’s app defended the sheriff’s work, saying he examined 693 arrests and found charges including meth-related offenses, burglary and robbery. “Everyone that I saw in the jail had a legitimate serious offense,” he said.

Why it matters: Commissioners heard multiple requests for data and explanation on how 287(g) is being used in Sumner County. The public asked both for numerical transparency and for explanations of whether arrests represent targeted enforcement or post-arrest cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The sheriff’s statement framed 287(g) as a post-arrest administrative process rather than proactive stops.

What’s next: Commissioners did not take formal action on the request during the meeting; several speakers said the matter could be placed on a future agenda for further discussion or formal reporting requirements.