A group of Tennessee lawmakers have spoken out denouncing a notice sent by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last year to the City of Franklin advising the possible influx of nearly 600 illegal immigrants to Middle Tennessee.
The notice, dated as the week ending September 16, 2023, and titled “Intended Destination of Noncitizens Processed at the Southwest Border,” said it was sent “for planning purposes,” notifying the cities of Nashville, Davidson County, Murfreesboro, and Franklin that a total of 573 “noncitizens” from Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico intended on traveling to the area following their release from DHS custody.
On X, formerly Twitter, Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) said he spoke with DHS on Thursday about the department’s notice.
“I talked to DHS yesterday, and officials admitted that they do not have a meaningful way to vet nor track the illegal aliens entering the U.S. and being shipped to Middle Tennessee,” Ogles said. “Make no mistake. We are under attack.”
U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, released a statement on the matter, saying, “Yet again, Tennessee has become a possible destination for more illegal aliens…We don’t know who any of these illegal aliens are, including whether or not they have a criminal history.”
“This is absolutely unacceptable, and I won’t stand for it. Tennessee does not have sanctuary cities. We ensured this by law back in 2018 when I fought as a State Senator to put teeth in the legislation that banned them. We are a state of law and order,” Green added.”The Biden administration must immediately reverse this outrageous decision to locate these illegal aliens in Tennessee.”
U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday requesting answers to 14 questions regarding the department’s September 2023 notice.
“We must get to the bottom of why DHS themselves said that some of the migrants released have already been processed for expedited removal,” DesJarlais said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Background Photo “Illegal Immigrants” by John Modlin.
