Immigration policy task force begins work

Shortly after taking office, Mayor Cooper repealed an Executive Order that had been issue by former Mayor Briley that basically said Metro employees were prohibited from cooperating with immigration officials and had to report on contacts city employees had with immigration officials and called on the State to repeal a State law prohibiting sanctuary cities in Tennessee.

Mayor Cooper appointed a task force to look into setting rules for interactions between Metro employees and immigration officials. The task force is tasked with reviewing current Metro policies and comparing them to immigration-related protocols in other cities. The group will then make recommendation for a metro policy that promotes safety in the community while still adhering to state and federal laws. The group has just 60 days to complete its work and file a report. They had their meeting yesterday, Wednesday October 30th.

A look at the  list of appointees shows a list titled toward those inclined to favor a very tolerant policy toward illegal immigrants. These are the task force members:

• Shanna Hughey,  ThinkTennessee President
• Juliana Ospina Cano, Conexion Americas Executive Director 
• Hank Clay, Metro Nashville Public Schools Chief of Staff
• Ana Escobar, General Sessions Judge
• Mike Hagar, Metro Nashville Police Department Deputy Chief
• Daron Hall, Davidson County Sheriff
• Mary Kathryn Harcombe, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Legal Director
• Victor S. (Torry) Johnson III, Former District Attorney General of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County
• Sandra Sepulveda, Metro Councilwoman, District 30
• Zulfat Suara, Metro Councilwoman At-Large

Source for this story is from WPLN, In Response To ICE Incidents And Confusion, Metro Begins Review Of Immigration Policies,