In Gallatin, frustration over a new federal immigration partnership has spilled into public view. After the Sumner County sheriff signed on to a federal 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, activists say a recent rise in ICE arrests has left local families on edge. Organizers have responded with a petition carrying hundreds of signatures and are urging residents to show up at a May county committee meeting to demand more transparency.
Organizers say they sent a petition asking the sheriff’s office to end the county’s partnership with ICE and have pressed county officials for public reporting on immigration-related arrests, according to WKRN. The petition, which activists say was circulated across Sumner County, was delivered to Sheriff Eric Craddock and County Mayor John Isbell as part of a broader effort to make jail-based immigration enforcement more transparent.
What the 287(g) agreement does and when it began
The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office signed a 287(g) memorandum that gives designated jail staff limited authority to serve civil immigration warrants on people who are already in custody, a function advocates say should be subject to clear public oversight. The county signed onto that program on April 29, 2025, according to Main Street Media of Tennessee, and the state has created a centralized office to coordinate local participation in 287(g) agreements, per the Tennessee Department of Safety.
Numbers show ICE activity at the jail
Federal arrest records compiled by the Deportation Data Project show a notable number of ICE administrative arrests connected to the Sumner County jail in recent months, and activists point to those figures when they argue that detailed public reporting is overdue. The project’s public data explorer also shows sizable numbers of ICE actions at nearby county jails over the same period, a pattern advocates say points to a broader regional enforcement push. Those figures are publicly available through the Deportation Data Project’s tools.
Residents say secrecy breeds fear
Local organizers say the county’s lack of routine public reporting has created “a culture of fear” among immigrant families and that the sheriff’s office has been reluctant to answer detailed questions about how the program is used. Activists told WKRN they want regular counts of immigration-related activity and clearer public notice when immigration holds are requested.
Where oversight comes in
State reporting requirements and newly created oversight structures mean county actions are now subject to more documentation, and the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference’s 2025 report outlines how counties must file forms when they arrest people who may not be lawfully present. That reporting framework is one avenue activists say they will use to push for clearer local disclosure, according to the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.
What’s next
Organizers plan to bring their petition to the county’s Health & Emergency Services Committee meeting in May and say they will keep pressing for regular public reporting on how often immigration warrants are served. County leaders argue the agreement reflects changing operational requirements, and the coming weeks will show whether that explanation satisfies residents who are demanding new levels of transparency.
