How potential Tennessee ICE facility went from confirmed to 'mistake,' spurring protests

There might not be an ICE detention center opening near Nashville after all.

After U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed to The Tennessean that the agency had purchased a facility in the Middle Tennessee town of Lebanon, 31 miles outside of Nashville, to use as a detention center for immigrants, the federal agency backtracked soon after.

Residents protest against an ICE detention facility during a Wilson County Commissions meeting at the Wilson Count Courthouse Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Lebanon, Tenn.

ICE said in the follow-up release that it had not purchased a Lebanon facility, calling the information a "mistake."

Immigration enforcement has been a pivotal point of federal policy and American politics for years, but especially so since President Donald Trump took office in 2025. Even in historically conservative areas of Tennessee like Wilson County, protest and conflict surround ICE.

Here's a breakdown of what happened and what to know about ICE in Middle Tennessee.

Will there be an ICE detention center in Lebanon or Middle Tennessee?

No. After confirming to The Tennessean on Monday, Feb. 16, that ICE had plans for "very well-structured detention facilities" in Lebanon, the federal agency took back that statement the following day.

Timeline: Potential Middle Tennessee ICE facility sparked protests

The Tennessee Lookout was the first to report the potential ICE detention center near Nashville on Feb. 13. The idea of ICE's expanded presence in Middle Tennessee immediately sent shock waves through the Nashville community, prompting outcry and groups planning to protest at the Feb. 17 Wilson County Commission meeting.

Here's a timeline of the local reaction and ICE eventually backtracking on the facility.

• Thursday, Feb. 12: ICE announces plans for nationwide expansion. ICE documents say the plan entails the acquisition and renovation of eight large-scale detention centers and 16 processing sites to ensure "timely expansion of detention capacity." ICE plans to activate all facilities by Nov. 30, 2026, the documents said.
• Friday, Feb. 13: Wilson County students organized a protest Feb. 13 in Mt. Juliet against ICE activity.
• Monday, Feb. 16, 2:33 p.m.: ICE confirms to the Tennessean the purchase of a Lebanon property for a detention center. Email includes specific job growth and economic specs.
• Tuesday, Feb. 17: ICE revokes previous statement. “ICE has NOT purchased a facility in Lebanon, Tennessee," ICE said in the follow-up release.
• Tuesday, Feb. 17: Tricia McLaughlin steps down from her role as the chief immigration spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. Her departure is unrelated to the Nashville detention center communication, according to USA TODAY reporting.
• Tuesday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m.: Middle Tennessee residents overflow a Wilson County Commission meeting to speak out against ICE
• Friday, Feb. 27: McLaughlin's announced last day with DHS, according to USA TODAY reporting.

Why is spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin leaving DHS?

McLaughlin said her stepping down has been in the works since December but was delayed because of the shootings in Minneapolis, according to a USA TODAY report.

McLaughlin has been a vocal defender of ICE actions and the Trump administration. She often went on TV and social media to promote the administration's immigration polices. 

"She has been a strong and fearless voice on behalf of President Trump and the brave men and women of federal law enforcement," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

McLaughlin worked is the U.S. Department of State during Trump's first tenure in the White House. She also previously worked as Ohio Governor DeWine's Political Communications Director and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Senior Advisor, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Lauren Bis will take over as assistant secretary for public affairs and Katie Zacharia will be the spokeswoman and deputy assistant secretary, McLaughlin announced on X Feb. 17.

Where does ICE have a presence in Nashville?

Despite the confusion surrounding any ICE detention center in Lebanon, ICE has ramped up its presence in Nashville. DHS documents from September 2025 designate Nashville as the location for an Office of the Principal Legal Advisor office.

The U.S. General Services Administration signed the lease for 1 Vantage Way near North Nashville and a second OPLA office is set to open at Estes Kefauver Federal Building on Broadway.

What did Tennessee leaders say about the ICE detention center?

Social media posts suggest that local leaders, despite their alignment with the Republican Party, say they had no prior knowledge of an ICE detention center in Lebanon.

"Friends & constituents I received a number of texts, emails and phone calls about the news article claiming an ICE facility will be coming to Lebanon TN," State Rep. Clark Boyd, R-Lebanon, posted on Facebook Feb. 16. "My first conversation about this was with a reporter. I told them that I had no knowledge of such a facility."

Boyd speculated about a communication mix-up in the post, saying, "at this point I believe its more likely that someone has confused Lebanon County PA with Lebanon TN."

State Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, also addressed concerns on social media. "I have talked to our congressmen, the administration here in Tennessee, homeland security, we've talked to the sheriff here, we can find no valid or credible information confirming this," Pody said in a Feb. 16 Facebook video

Will there be an ICE facility in Nashville in the future?

There has been no confirmation of whether or not an ICE detention center is in the cards for Middle Tennessee.

Are there any ICE detention centers in Tennessee?

Beyond any potential ICE facility in Nashville, ICE already has a detention center located in West Tennessee. The center is located at 6299 Finde Naifeh Drive in Mason, Tennessee, a small town about 43 miles east of downtown Memphis.

The West Tennessee facility, run by private prison company CoreCivic, began housing ICE detainees in September 2025, according to a Commercial Appeal report. It can house a capacity of 500 people.

Is Homeland Security the same as ICE?

The Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet-level department of the United States government created in 2002. ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is under the DHS umbrella along with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, United States Customs and Border Protection, United States Secret Service and more.

Tennessean reporters Vivian Jones and Hadley Hitson contributed to this report.

Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking news from Knoxville for the Tennessee Connect Team. Email: [email protected]