Blue City Mayor Probed By House GOP Over ICE Obstruction Accusations

Two House committees are launching a formal investigation into Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell over policies and actions they say may obstruct federal immigration enforcement in violation of state and federal law, as reported by Fox News.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., and Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., are leading the probe, joined by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., who chairs the immigration subcommittee.

The investigation follows O’Connell’s recent executive order requiring Nashville and Davidson County employees to report communications with federal immigration officials, including agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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In a letter to O’Connell, the four lawmakers wrote:

“The Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security of the U.S. House of Representatives are conducting oversight of state and local jurisdictions that endanger American communities through efforts aimed at thwarting the work of federal immigration officials.”

The letter continues:

“While the state of Tennessee has outlawed sanctuary policies, recent actions from your office threaten to chill immigration enforcement in the City of Nashville and Davidson County.”

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O’Connell’s executive order came shortly after ICE agents, in cooperation with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, arrested nearly 200 individuals that the Department of Homeland Security identified as illegal immigrants, many of whom reportedly had gang ties or criminal records.

Following the operation, O’Connell criticized the arrests, saying, “It’s very frustrating to see a failure in the process,” and later signed the directive targeting internal communications with federal authorities.

The lawmakers expressed concern that the order could restrict cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE and may even lead to tipping off suspects.

“There is the real potential that your Executive Order could have the effect of diminishing ICE enforcement operations,” the letter stated.

One example cited was a comment by O’Connell’s chief legal officer, who reportedly acknowledged it was an “open question” whether someone could legally announce impending federal enforcement actions.

O’Connell also drew scrutiny for his role in creating “The Belonging Fund,” a city-affiliated nonprofit that assists illegal immigrants with urgent care costs.

While the fund’s website claims no taxpayer dollars are used, Rep. Ogles questioned that claim, telling Fox News Digital, “The recipients of these funds are untraceable, and the purpose seems crystal clear: help illegal foreigners evade the law.”

Ogles added, “I refuse to sit back while our communities are overrun, while our neighborhoods are destroyed, and our daughters are assaulted. And I doubly refuse to stay silent while blue city mayors aid and abet this invasion.”

Letter to Nashville Mayor – ICE Obstruction Claims 

O’Connell joins a growing list of Democratic officials facing backlash over actions perceived as undermining federal immigration efforts.

Among them is Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., who was recently charged by the Department of Justice for allegedly assaulting an officer while forcing her way into a Newark ICE facility — a charge she has dismissed as politically motivated.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Nashville mayor’s office for comment.

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