'I will not relent': MAGA rep opens investigation into mayor who criticized Trump policies
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) speaks to reporters ahead of a vote to pass the American Relief Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 19, 2024. The legislation failed to pass the House in a 174-235 vote. REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell (D) has been accused of “aiding and abetting” illegal immigration by Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who announced an investigation into the mayor over his opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in the city.
O'Connell will face an investigation by two federal committees, per the ABC affiliate WKRN-TV based in Nashville.
Ogles, who served as the mayor of Maury County, Tennessee, from 2018 to 2022, was joined by several Tennessee state officials and law enforcement representatives as he announced that the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees will launch an investigation into the mayor.
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The probe will focus on the mayor's actions and whether federal funds were potentially misused in connection with alleged criminal activities tied to immigration.
Addressing a press conference Monday, Ogles said: “I will not back down. I will not relent. I will always stand with law enforcement."
“I want my community, and I want my country back," he added.
The inquiry arises from growing tensions between local residents and federal immigration officials. Ogles pushed for a probe into the mayor’s office following O’Connell’s remarks about a “joint safety operation” carried out in early May by ICE agents in coordination with the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
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According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the operation resulted in 196 arrests.
The State Department alleged that the Nashville mayor “stands by pro-illegal policies.”
However, O’Connell maintains that federal authorities have provided "no proof" that those apprehended during the May operation were individuals “with criminal histories or criminal intent," and questioned whether they were given their constitutional right to due process.
