Advocates for immigrants want Tennessee troopers to stop bringing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents along with them during patrols.
ICE agents rode along with the Tennessee Highway Patrol during the May 2025 immigration operation in Nashville, and ICE agents are currently accompanying troopers as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported. The Nashville operation targeted immigrant-dense neighborhoods in South Nashville, but THP said troopers were prioritizing high-volume, high-crash roads.
Attorneys for an immigrants' rights group suing THP and the Tennessee Department of Homeland Safety and Security say troopers make pretextual stops against Hispanic drivers for minor infractions like tinted windows,
at which point the partnered ICE agent can question the driver's immigration status and detain them.
Lawyers for THP and the Tennessee Immigrant Refugee Rights Coalition, or TIRRC, met Sept. 22 in the Nashville federal courthouse to debate the legality of troopers' direct collaboration with immigration authorities.
Michael Holley, an attorney representing TIRRC, said the organization is seeking an order telling THP Col. Matt Perry to stop driving ICE agents around in Memphis and across the state.
U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger said she plans to make a "fairly quick decision."
Samantha Morris, an assistant attorney general representing THP and TDHS, said "THP troopers do not make immigration arrests" but conduct probable cause traffic stops, and that there is no evidence that THP has not had probable cause. She defended the ride-along arrangement with ICE by comparing it to THP bringing drug-sniffing dogs on patrol.
Holley, during rebuttal, said "a drug dog does not have a salary or an agenda."
TIRRC filed its lawsuit in May, alongside seven individual plaintiffs including Metro Nashville Council member Terry Vo. They named THP, TDHS, Perry and TDHS Commissioner Jeff Long.
Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: ICE shouldn't ride along with TN state troopers, lawsuit argues
