NASHVILLE — The federal deportation raids in Tennessee that have garnered outrage from local Democrats resulted in the capture of rapists, drug dealers, and gang members, according to a Department of Homeland Security dossier obtained by The Daily Wire.
Nashville’s Democrat mayor Freddie O’Connell has said he was very “frustrated” to see immigration enforcement in the city, stating, “We did not request this approach to safety, we do not support it.” In response, he signed an executive order mandating that communications from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) be directed to his office immediately.
His outrage comes with little public information known about the scale about the raid, but The Daily Wire has learned that nearly 200 illegal aliens were captured during the weeklong raids, including rapists, drug dealers, and gang members.
The raids, which ICE carried out in conjunction with local and federal law enforcement partners, began on May 3 and resulted in the arrest of 196 illegal aliens. Of those arrested, 95 had prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, while another 31 had reentered the country after being previously removed from the United States, a felony offense, the federal law enforcement agency told The Daily Wire.
“This operation resulted in getting gang members, sex offenders, and other violent criminals off Nashville’s streets,” Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, told The Daily Wire. “President Trump and Secretary Noem will continue to stand with victims and the brave ICE agents who are on the frontlines making America safe again.”
Here are some of the criminal illegal aliens captured in Nashville:
Jassim Jafaf Al-Raash, a 60-year-old convicted rapist and citizen of Iraq. Al-Raash failed to register as a sex offender following his rape convictions, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The Iraqi national was also convicted of false imprisonment and larceny.

ICE also captured Franklin Oswaldo Velasquez-Reyes, a 33-year-old Salvadoran who is affiliated with MS-13, a violent gang that was recently named a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump State Department. El Salvador suspects Velasquez-Reyes of committing aggravated murder and issued a notice requesting foreign governments to locate and arrest Velasquez-Reyes. The Salvadoran national has several criminal convictions, including possession of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear, and criminal impersonation.

Haitian national Richard St. Baptiste, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. St. Baptiste was also sentenced to 30 days in prison for marijuana possession.

Inmar Antonio Penado-Membreno, a 34-year-old Salvadoran, was sentenced to eight years in prison for possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, and sell cocaine and four years for aggravated assault.

Carlos Reinaldo Alvarado-Rodriguez, a 39-year-old citizen of Guatemala with a conviction for aggravated assault.
The five criminal illegal aliens were joined by a 39-year-old Mexican national who had been deported from the United States six different times and was convicted of felony domestic assault and sex with a minor; a 37-year-old Venezuelan affiliated with Tren de Aragua; a 28-year-old Mexican national convicted of reckless aggravated assault; and another Mexican national who was convicted of drug possession.
“You would think all public officials would unite around DHS bringing violent criminal illegal aliens to justice and removing them from American communities,” McLaughlin charged. “However, pro-open borders politicians — like Mayor O’Connell — would rather protect illegal aliens than American citizens.”
O’Connell, Nashville’s mayor, not only spoke out against the raids, but also put local resources towards helping the illegal immigrant community. He announced the creation of the “belonging fund” to offer monetary support for illegal aliens. The fund will allocate money to non-profit organizations that provide childcare, transportation, and food to illegal aliens, though the money will not be used to provide them with legal assistance.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons told The Daily Wire that O’Connell should be thankful for the federal agency’s operations in Nashville.
“Instead of vilifying the brave men and women who ensure his constituents stay safe from criminal alien murderers, drug dealers and rapists, the mayor should be saying thank you to ICE and its partners for taking these public safety threats out of his neighborhoods.”
RJ Hauman, the president of National Immigration Center Enforcement and visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, similarly slammed Nashville’s Democrat mayor.
“Sanctuary city mayors keep trying to outdo each other, and Americans are fed up,” Hauman said. “ICE is stepping up, nabbing serious criminals like child rapists and Tren de Aragua gang members. The American people are behind ICE’s work to kick these threats out and keep our communities safe. Now it’s time for Congress to give them more resources.”
Despite O’Connell’s response to the ICE raids, Nashville’s Legal Director Wally Dietz admitted that the city has no authority to obstruct the operations.
“We are powerless, we have absolutely no authority to instruct ICE not to carry out their enforcement actions,” Dietz explained. “We have no authority to tell THP they cannot cooperate with ICE,” he added, referring to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R) praised the raids, saying. “No one wants these criminals in their community” and that it was “a good thing that ICE is rounding them up and deporting them.”
[#item_full_content]
[[{“value”:”
NASHVILLE — The federal deportation raids in Tennessee that have garnered outrage from local Democrats resulted in the capture of rapists, drug dealers, and gang members, according to a Department of Homeland Security dossier obtained by The Daily Wire.
Nashville’s Democrat mayor Freddie O’Connell has said he was very “frustrated” to see immigration enforcement in the city, stating, “We did not request this approach to safety, we do not support it.” In response, he signed an executive order mandating that communications from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) be directed to his office immediately.
His outrage comes with little public information known about the scale about the raid, but The Daily Wire has learned that nearly 200 illegal aliens were captured during the weeklong raids, including rapists, drug dealers, and gang members.
The raids, which ICE carried out in conjunction with local and federal law enforcement partners, began on May 3 and resulted in the arrest of 196 illegal aliens. Of those arrested, 95 had prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, while another 31 had reentered the country after being previously removed from the United States, a felony offense, the federal law enforcement agency told The Daily Wire.
“This operation resulted in getting gang members, sex offenders, and other violent criminals off Nashville’s streets,” Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, told The Daily Wire. “President Trump and Secretary Noem will continue to stand with victims and the brave ICE agents who are on the frontlines making America safe again.”
Here are some of the criminal illegal aliens captured in Nashville:
Jassim Jafaf Al-Raash, a 60-year-old convicted rapist and citizen of Iraq. Al-Raash failed to register as a sex offender following his rape convictions, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The Iraqi national was also convicted of false imprisonment and larceny.

ICE also captured Franklin Oswaldo Velasquez-Reyes, a 33-year-old Salvadoran who is affiliated with MS-13, a violent gang that was recently named a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump State Department. El Salvador suspects Velasquez-Reyes of committing aggravated murder and issued a notice requesting foreign governments to locate and arrest Velasquez-Reyes. The Salvadoran national has several criminal convictions, including possession of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear, and criminal impersonation.

Haitian national Richard St. Baptiste, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. St. Baptiste was also sentenced to 30 days in prison for marijuana possession.

Inmar Antonio Penado-Membreno, a 34-year-old Salvadoran, was sentenced to eight years in prison for possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, and sell cocaine and four years for aggravated assault.

Carlos Reinaldo Alvarado-Rodriguez, a 39-year-old citizen of Guatemala with a conviction for aggravated assault.
The five criminal illegal aliens were joined by a 39-year-old Mexican national who had been deported from the United States six different times and was convicted of felony domestic assault and sex with a minor; a 37-year-old Venezuelan affiliated with Tren de Aragua; a 28-year-old Mexican national convicted of reckless aggravated assault; and another Mexican national who was convicted of drug possession.
“You would think all public officials would unite around DHS bringing violent criminal illegal aliens to justice and removing them from American communities,” McLaughlin charged. “However, pro-open borders politicians — like Mayor O’Connell — would rather protect illegal aliens than American citizens.”
O’Connell, Nashville’s mayor, not only spoke out against the raids, but also put local resources towards helping the illegal immigrant community. He announced the creation of the “belonging fund” to offer monetary support for illegal aliens. The fund will allocate money to non-profit organizations that provide childcare, transportation, and food to illegal aliens, though the money will not be used to provide them with legal assistance.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons told The Daily Wire that O’Connell should be thankful for the federal agency’s operations in Nashville.
“Instead of vilifying the brave men and women who ensure his constituents stay safe from criminal alien murderers, drug dealers and rapists, the mayor should be saying thank you to ICE and its partners for taking these public safety threats out of his neighborhoods.”
RJ Hauman, the president of National Immigration Center Enforcement and visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, similarly slammed Nashville’s Democrat mayor.
“Sanctuary city mayors keep trying to outdo each other, and Americans are fed up,” Hauman said. “ICE is stepping up, nabbing serious criminals like child rapists and Tren de Aragua gang members. The American people are behind ICE’s work to kick these threats out and keep our communities safe. Now it’s time for Congress to give them more resources.”
Despite O’Connell’s response to the ICE raids, Nashville’s Legal Director Wally Dietz admitted that the city has no authority to obstruct the operations.
“We are powerless, we have absolutely no authority to instruct ICE not to carry out their enforcement actions,” Dietz explained. “We have no authority to tell THP they cannot cooperate with ICE,” he added, referring to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R) praised the raids, saying. “No one wants these criminals in their community” and that it was “a good thing that ICE is rounding them up and deporting them.”
“}]]