The Immigration Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) has created a hotline for anyone who believes that they are being illegally detained as a result of their questioned United States citizenship. This hotline operates 24/7. Why is this an important step in protecting citizens in Sevier county? You may say "I am a white/black/native american who speaks perfect english and give no indication of being other than a United States citizen -this surly wouldn't be of any interest to me right??"
Wrong. Let me give you a true example of what can potentially happen to you in Sevier County and why having this number may save you an extended stay in jail.
This year 3 black women were stopped by SPD and questioned because they fit the profile of a shoplifter. No person observed these women stealing anything. Store employees contacted the police because the women were acting suspicious. Interestingly, the suspicious actions were actions the police told the store employees to be looking for in shoplifters.
The women were detained by SPD and asked to produce I.D. When the women stated that they did not have I.D. on them they were told that they could be held for up to three days without being charged with a crime to determine their citizenship. There was nothing to indicate that these women were anything but United States citizens.
When questioned under oath the officer stated that the law allowing a 3-day detention was "T.C.A." meaning Tennessee Code Annotated. The prosecutor nor the Judge could find such a statute in the Tennessee Code.
I do not know if this remains a practice in Sevier county but I urge each of you to keep this ICE number handy just in case you are ever stopped without your I.D. and hauled off to jail for your citizenship to be confirmed.
The ICE hotline number is (855) 448-6903
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