Save the date: The American Dream Banquet 2008 On July 10, The Welcoming Tennessee Initiative, an educational program of TIRRC, will honor Founder and Outgoing Director, David Lubell, introduce the new incoming Director, as well as celebrate other individuals who have built bridges and promoted understanding between the immigrant community and native-born Tennesseans. Don't miss your chance to say goodbye to Director, David Lubell, and celebrate the organization's exciting past and future.  Click Here for More ...

Sheriff's Immigration Crackdown Catch More Minor Offenders than Dangerous Criminals A Nashville police officer pulled him over last November, and Aguirre was arrested when he couldn't produce a driver's license. He went from jail to a deportation center to Mexico. All after a minor traffic violation. Aguirre is not alone. In the first year that the Nashville Police and Davidson County Sheriff's departments have participated in a nationwide immigration enforcement program, half of the nearly 3,000 people arrested under that program were caught during routine traffic stops, many of them for driving without a license. And despite local law enforcement's stated goal of concentrating on repeat and violent offenders, that is not the case. A Tennessean arrest analysis shows: Since April 2007, just 19 percent of those arrested were charged with felonies. The rest were charged with misdemeanors.  Click Here for More ...

Emergency Action: Immigration Raids in Chattanooga Vigils to be held across the state- Tuesday, April 29 join us as we stand in solidarity with the workers and families affecte by the inhumane raids in Chattanooga. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids took place at six Pilgrim's Pride poultry processing plants across the country on April 16th, including a devastating raid in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Most detainees from the Chattanooga raid are being held in Chattanooga and Lumpkin, GA. Five female detainees are being held in Nashville at the Harding Detention Facility.  Click Here for More ...

MTSU poll shows increasing support for immigrants in TN A new poll conducted by Middle Tennessee State University indicates that attitudes towards immigrants in TN have softened dramatically over the last year. Fully 47% support starting a temporary worker program for undocumented immigrants (up from 40% in Spring 2007), and 63% would support a path to citizenship (up from 54% a year ago). The percentage of those supporting a path to citizenship climbs to 73% for those making $40,000 or less. 50% of those polled agree that immigrants take jobs that US-born workers do not want. Click Here for More ...