The Chattanooga Police Department is aware of recent reporting and public discussion regarding arrests and immigration status in Hamilton County and wants to clarify and correct CPD arrest practices and data clearly, directly, and factually.
According to an official statement, "CPD officers serve every member of our community with dignity, fairness, and respect. Our mission, 'to keep you, your family, and our community safe,' is rooted in constitutional policing. We protect people. We do not target them because of who they are, where they come from, or the language they speak."
The Chattanooga Police Department does not make arrests or detentions based on citizenship or immigration status, nor do they have the legal authority to do so. Immigration enforcement is civil in nature and falls under federal jurisdiction. CPD enforces state and local criminal law only.
There is no Tennessee Code Annotated charge for an “immigration arrest,” and CPD does not track, charge, or target individuals based on immigration status. While Tennessee law requires local agencies to cooperate with ICE detainer requests, CPD is not participating in any form of immigration enforcement, and does not have the authority or capacity to do so.
Under Tennessee law, individuals are required to identify themselves when driving, under arrest, or lawfully detained. If legal identification cannot be provided, an individual may be taken to jail so that lawful criminal processing can occur. The only jail CPD is authorized to transport arrestees to is the Hamilton County Jail.
It is only after an arrestee's transfer of custody to Hamilton County Jail staff that Homeland Security notifications are made, as required by law, if a person’s immigration status is unauthorized or unknown. That process does not involve CPD making an immigration-related arrest decision.
According to a police spokesman, a recent news report suggested or implied otherwise. "The data was inaccurately interpreted resulting in framing that is misleading, short-sighted, and needlessly inflammatory," they stated.
According to the CPD, a basic review of the data shows that CPD makes more arrests than any other agency in Hamilton County, for two primary reasons:
- First, because they have the most officers working to protect people and enforce the law.
- Secondly, Chattanooga has the largest population and the highest daily volume of people living, working, and visiting the city. This is simple math, not selective enforcement.
The perceived “increase” in arrests of individuals who would later be deported is not an increase in the number of arrests of a particular group of people made by CPD officers. It is an increase in the number of deportations only, as indicated in the data.
"We acknowledge and understand the concerns raised by community members, particularly those who may feel fear or uncertainty because of how this issue has been portrayed," the spokesman clarified. "Inaccurate or poorly contextualized reporting does real harm by eroding trust and spreading fear where facts do not support it."