Image Credit: U.S. Customs & Border Protection / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Rebecca Scott] –
Tennessee lawmakers and citizens are becoming increasingly aware of the issue of illegal immigration within the state.
With the release of a notice sent to the City of Franklin from the Department of Homeland Security informing the city that nearly 600 illegal immigrants from the Southwest Border had chosen Franklin, Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Davidson County as their destination of choice after being processed at the border, some members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation are making their concerns known to DHS and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-District 4) submitted a letter to DHS and is quoted in a press release from his office as saying, “The letter that DHS sent to the City of Franklin raises more questions than it answers. Our federal, state and local leaders need to know, if there are unaccompanied minors that could be in danger, what sort of potential taxpayer resources are these migrants going to require, and how many more are on the way since this letter was sent. It’s also critical to ensure that those with reporting requirements are showing up to their court dates and regularly reporting their whereabouts to DHS. Most importantly, we need to get to the bottom of why DHS themselves said that some of the migrants released have already been processed for expedited removal.”
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) sent a joint letter to the attention of Mayorkas. They called out the Biden administration for the disastrous crisis at the southern border.
“The Biden administration is single-handedly responsible for the humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border, but you are forcing the American people to bear the consequences. This administration’s policy of releasing migrants into communities across the country is a dangerous and irresponsible attempt to hide the true extent of the Biden border crisis, and it is making every town in America less safe.”
Their letter went on to say, “At minimum, Tennesseans deserve to know the full details about when these immigrants are moving to Tennessee, how many will be arriving, and the extent of their vetting. We are requesting more information about this disturbing news.”
The letter asked Mayorkas to respond by February 9th with the answers to questions regarding vetting, tracking and criminal backgrounds of the immigrants, as well as whether or not more illegal immigrants have cited Middle Tennessee as their intended destination.
A source for The Tennessee Conservative has raised concerns that, during a Williamson County Sheriff’s Candidate Forum, it was mentioned that 500 illegal immigrants were transported to hotels by Cool Springs Mall.
This location is close to the Islamic Center of Williamson County which may raise red flags and questions regarding the choice of a drop-off point for the immigrants. According to our source, a large influx of illegal immigrants should be cause for residents to, at minimum, be informed of the arrival of the immigrants in order to make informed choices regarding their own safety.
With more questions than answers at this point in time, Tennessee’s lawmakers must continue to insist on transparency from DHS, including detailed information regarding illegal immigrants being sent to the state, while fighting for the safety and security of all Tennesseans.
Rebecca Scott is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative.
You can reach Rebecca at Rebecca@tennesseeconservativenews.com
