MURFREESBORO, Tenn (WTVF) — Rutherford County has become the latest Middle Tennessee jurisdiction to partner with federal immigration authorities through the 287(g) program, despite vocal opposition from community members who gathered outside the county courthouse to protest the decision.

The program allows local law enforcement officers to take on some of the same duties as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, including serving civil immigration warrants inside jails and making enforcement stops. About 30 Tennessee law enforcement agencies now participate in the federal program.

"I am an American citizen, but this is a personal issue that concerns me because I'm Mexican American and I am deeply embedded in the Latino community here," Ana Karina Lorenzana DeWitt said.

The 287(g)

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