Civil Rights Groups Press Tennessee Judges to Keep Courthouses Safe for Immigrants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2026
Media Contacts:
Cathryn Stout, Ph.D.,
Director of Strategic Communications, ACLU-TN communications@aclu-tn.org
Elizabeth Madeira
Communications Director, TIRRC media@tnimmigrant.org
Civil Rights Groups Press Tennessee Judges to Keep Courthouses Safe for Immigrants
Joint letter warns that fear of immigration arrests is deterring litigants, witnesses, and victims from accessing the courts
NASHVILLE, TN— Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) and the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) released a joint letter to the presiding judges of Tennessee’s thirty-two judicial districts about the civil immigration arrests unfolding at some Tennessee courthouses. The letter urges judges to take steps to uphold the right of the public to access courtrooms. Such measures are necessary to protect the integrity of court proceedings.
So that the orderly administration of justice is not undermined, ACLU-TN and TIRRC are urging judges to implement procedures to stop civil immigration arrests inside court buildings, including courtrooms, hallways, lobbies, clerks’ offices, entryways, and other areas necessary to access judicial services. Exceptions should be made only when needed to pursue judicial warrants.
“Tennesseans from every walk of life rely on our state court system to resolve disputes, seek protection, and respond to government allegations of wrongdoing, from the most minor to most serious offenses. All should be able to access their day in court without fear, favor, or external interference,” the letter states.
The letter grounds this call for action in Tennessee’s own constitutional framework, pointing to the judiciary’s independent duty to protect open court access.
The letter warns, “The presence or threat of such arrests at places dedicated to the fair administration of justice undermines public confidence in the judiciary, deters litigants, witnesses, victims, and family members from appearing, and interferes with the courts’ core obligation to provide equal and meaningful access to justice.”
Everyone in Tennessee and across the country, regardless of race, immigration status, or profession, deserves equal access to justice. ACLU-TN emphasized that this protection is fundamentally a question of equal justice under the law.
“Today, we are calling on Tennessee’s presiding judges to use the authority they have under state law and the Constitution to protect access to the courts, preserve order in courthouses and courtrooms, and ensure that every person can seek justice without fear,” said Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, ACLU-TN interim legal director.”
TIRRC, which co-signed the letter alongside ACLU-TN, echoed that call, framing courthouse arrests as a direct threat to the separation of powers. TIRRC senior legal director Spring Miller emphasized that the stakes extend beyond immigration enforcement. “The judiciary is a co-equal branch of the Tennessee government and should not be subjected to politicized dictates of the legislature or a federal administration,” said Miller. “We are calling on judges to exercise their authority to ensure the efficient, fair, and orderly administration of justice in our state court system.”
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) is an affiliate of the national ACLU. For more than 50 years, ACLU-TN has worked to defend the principles of liberty, equality, and justice guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Learn more at www.aclu-tn.org.
The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to build power, amplify our voices, and organize communities to advocate for our rights in order to build a stronger, more inclusive Tennessee where people of all nationalities, immigration statuses, and racial identities can belong and thrive. Since its founding in 2001, TIRRC has grown from a grassroots network of community leaders into one of the most diverse and effective coalitions of its kind, a model for emerging immigrant rights organizations in the Southeast and throughout the United States.
