ICE Raid in Nashville Sparks Outcry as Dozens Detained, Advocates Allege Racial Profiling

An overnight immigration operation in Nashville's Antioch neighborhood has sparked outrage and fear among local families, with immigration advocates accusing federal agents of racial profiling and wrongful detentions.

The incident unfolded Sunday morning, when a bus believed to be carrying detainees was escorted by ICE agents and Tennessee Highway Patrol officers, with sirens blaring and detainees seen knocking on the bus windows from inside.

According to Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), officers stopped multiple vehicles for traffic violations, resulting in several arrests. ICE agents reportedly detained between 20 and 100 individuals, although an official count has not been released. THP said arrests were made on outstanding warrants, and illegal guns and drugs were recovered from individuals believed to have gang affiliations.

But immigrant rights groups and advocates like Gisselle Huerta are pushing back, saying many were unfairly targeted.

“Many of them already have asylum,” Huerta said. “They just didn’t have their proper documentation on them.”

Families say the sudden arrests have left loved ones—including young children and pregnant women—without support.

“One of them is pregnant… another wife has a baby that’s three months old,” Huerta added. “They’re waiting to see what’s going to happen with their husbands.”

One woman interviewed by WZTV was able to locate her brother using ICE’s detainee locator tool, but officials have yet to confirm where detainees are being taken. Advocacy groups believe the bus is headed to a detention facility in Louisiana, but the final destination remains unclear.

The raid has renewed local tensions over immigration enforcement tactics and their human impact, especially as families await answers.

Video and reporting courtesy of CNN Newsource and WZTV.

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