Strong Opposition to Secret Police Bill Targeting Immigrants

Strong Opposition to Secret Police Bill Targeting Immigrants I am writing to express my vehement opposition to the bill, already passed by the Senate and moving through House committees, that would create a de facto secret police force to target undocumented immigrants in Tennessee. This legislation, pushed by White House aide Stephen Miller, would make it a Class E felony—punishable by up to six years in prison—for anyone to disclose identifying information about officers enforcing federal immigration law. This protection extends not only to ICE agents but to any local law enforcement officer, including those in the Chattanooga Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. It also explicitly prohibits any state or local official from sharing information about immigration enforcement operations. Proponents frame this as protecting officer privacy. But this is not about privacy. It is about creating unaccountable, anonymous enforcement that undermines the very foundations of a free society. As Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, warned in committee: "When we get to the point that we're hiding these people's identities, and we're in a society where it's OK to pick up people off the street and take them to an undisclosed location and not tell their family or their attorney or anyone else, it's beyond a slippery slope." He is correct. This bill enables exactly that: government agents wielding the state's monopoly on violence while hiding behind a mask. Any public servant who swears an oath to Tennesseans must conduct themselves with full transparency. Granting anonymity to those carrying out immigration enforcement ensures they can detain immigrants without meaningful recourse, due process, or accountability. The hypocrisy of this legislation is staggering. While the GOP wants immigration enforcement shrouded in secrecy, it has no problem requiring schools to confirm the citizenship status of children—robbing those children of privacy and creating a hostile environment for learning. Privacy for enforcers, but none for the vulnerable. Nothing about this crackdown will keep anyone safe. Immigrants do not pose a greater documented threat than citizens. This is not about public safety—it is an ethnic cleansing campaign disguised as law enforcement. I demand that you: 1. Vote NO on this secret police bill and any legislation that shields immigration enforcement from public accountability. 2. Affirm that transparency and due process are fundamental to Tennessee governance and cannot be sacrificed for political gain. 3. Reject the broader anti-immigrant agenda that targets children, families, and communities while offering nothing to improve public safety. A free society cannot function when its agents operate in darkness. I urge you to stand against this dangerous overreach.