State officials, sheriff push for Nashville immigration judge

Local program launched 15 months ago

Email | Print By John Rodgers

A bipartisan group of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation joined Davidson County’s sheriff Wednesday to make another push for an immigration judge in Nashville to process suspected illegal immigrants.

Since its implementation in April 2007, Davidson County’s program to combat illegal immigration, called 287(g), has processed more than 3,500 people for deportation.

“Sheriff (Daron) Hall and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office have done a better job than any other county east of Phoenix, Arizona, with this new program to remove criminal illegal immigrants,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander in a statement. “Sheriff (Daron) Hall has told us that Davidson County needs an immigration judge to make the process of deporting illegal immigrants quicker and cheaper, and I will continue to press his case in Washington.”

Alexander has spoken with Attorney General Michael Mukasey in private about the need for an immigration judge in Nashville.

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) said the “sensible, humane way” to process suspected illegal immigrants apprehended in Nashville is to “have a judge hear their cases in Nashville.

“Sending people hundreds of miles away to Louisiana to await a hearing only makes it harder for them to communicate with lawyers and family members, and I’m skeptical that it saves the government any money,” Cooper said in a statement. “The Justice Department must ensure that taxpayers are getting their money’s worth and people in federal custody are allowed fair legal proceedings.”

Sen. Bob Corker and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Brentwood) joined Alexander, Cooper and Hall in calling for the immigration judge.