Metro Press release, 10/14/2019 - Mayor John Cooper today released the following statement regarding Executive Order No. 11:
“I am rescinding Mayor Briley’s Executive Order No. 11. The order,
as written, provides insufficient clarity for either immigrant families
as well as Metropolitan Government employees, as many have noted,
including immigration advocacy groups.
“I am taking action on Executive Order No. 11 this week because the
State of Tennessee has given Metro Government an extension to address
this issue by October 18th or risk losing four grants totaling over
$1.1 million.
“We will be convening a task force of leaders from across the
community and Metro Government to ensure my administration is aware of
requests made by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and
knows how to respond appropriately. The task force will be responsible
for making recommendations for how Metro employees should interact
with federal immigration authorities in a manner that: (1) respects the
very separate roles of federal, state, and local governments, (2)
complies with state and federal law, and (3) protects the safety and
well-being of everyone in our immigrant communities.
“Recent activities by ICE in our city – including at a Metro school –
demonstrate that neither city agencies nor residents have received
sufficient guidance on how to report or respond to requests for
assistance from federal agencies like ICE. This task force is intended
to address that issue from the ground up, with guidance crafted by this
diverse group of Nashville’s leading voices on immigration and local
law enforcement policy.
“I have said frequently that I want Nashville to be a city for
everyone, and that certainly includes immigrants. Our city benefits
greatly from the many contributions of our immigrant neighbors. I am
deeply aware that our success as a city depends on everyone both
feeling safe to participate and having access to opportunities. To get
there, we need to make sure that all Nashvillians feel safe when
interacting with our city agencies.
“It is up to the federal government to both make and enforce our
immigration laws. It is my job to make sure that our city runs well.
Our city agencies have limited resources and cannot be expected to do
the work of the federal government.
“The following task force will provide recommendations within the next 60 days:
- Shanna Hughey, ThinkTN, Founder and President (CHAIR)
- Juliana Ospina Cano, Executive Director Conexion Americas
- Hank Clay, MNPS Chief of Staff
- Ana Escobar, General Sessions Judge
- Mike Hagar, MNPD Deputy Chief
- Daron Hall, Davidson County Sheriff
- Mary Kathryn Harcombe, TIRRC Legal Director
- Victor S. (Torry) Johnson III, Former District Attorney General of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County
- Sandra Sepulveda, Metro Councilwoman, District 30
- Zulfat Suara, Metro Councilwoman At-Large
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