Federal records show U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is quietly building a "Public Safety Coordination Center" near the Nashville airport in Donelson. This isn't a rumor: ICE has confirmed it, a multi-million-dollar contract has already been awarded to a company called Koniag, and job listings for call center operators in Nashville are live right now. Metro Council members say they were blindsided, and residents only found out because reporters dug it up.

Here's what this facility is actually for: coordinating with local police under the 287(g) program, a system Tennessee's legislature now requires every county sheriff to join by 2027. In plain terms, that means more information sharing between local law enforcement and ICE, and more of our neighbors targeted for removal from their homes, jobs, and families.

At Tuesday's Metro Council meeting, dozens of Nashvillians showed up to say they don't want their city building the backbone of a nationwide deportation surveillance system. "Someone's father or mother doesn't come home. A child loses a parent. Your favorite small business closes down," said Luis Mata, Deputy Executive Director of the Tennessee Democratic Party, describing what this infrastructure ultimately does to families and neighborhoods.

Metro Council hasn't filed legislation to stop this yet. Nashville residents deserve a real say before a facility like this gets built in their backyard. Sign the petition demanding Metro Nashville Council investigate this project, hold public hearings, and use every tool available to block it, before more families are torn apart.