Police prepared if protests go awry during Nashville arraignment for man deported to El Salvador
The arraignment is being held at Fred D Thompson Federal Building & Courthouse on Church Street.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A commander with the Metro Nashville Police Department says that his precinct is prepared if “unannounced actions” occur in protest during the arraignment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in the city on Friday.
Cmdr. Rickey Bearden shared that MNPD is aware of planned protests during Abrego Garcia’s arraignment at 10 a.m. on Friday.
The arraignment is being held at the federal courthouse on Church Street and 7th Avenue North.
“Our downtown area, particularly around the federal courthouse, will see an increase of persons and vehicles compared to a typical day,” Bearden shared. “In addition to media, there may be persons present to protest. Please know that our police department supports peaceful and lawful protests and assemblies. We fully expect any activities related to the court case to be peaceful and orderly.”
Related Coverage:
Here are instructions on how to watch WSMV4 live on various platforms.
He added that, as with any protest or demonstration, the department has contingency plans in place if any “unannounced actions occur.”
“I assure you that our police department will be closely monitoring events in and around Nashville’s federal courthouse on Friday,” Bearden said.
Signs could be seen in support of Abrego Garcia in windows across from the federal courthouse on Friday morning.
Immigrant rights groups organized a press conference on 8th Avenue South ahead of the arraignment and protests.
People involved with the protests said the planned march to the courthouse had to be canceled due to safety concerns. Apparently, word of counterprotests forced them to err on the side of caution.
Days before the arraignment, Abrego Garcia’s attorneys requested his release from detention in Tennessee. They said their client should be released, arguing there’s no risk that he will flee.
“The government points to zero facts suggesting that Mr. Abrego Garcia has a history of evading arrest, has systematically engaged in international travel in the recent past, has strong relations in countries that would cause him to seek refuge there, or has any prior felony convictions,” his attorneys said.
Abrego Garcia was deported back in March, but was then brought back to Tennessee in early June to face human trafficking charges. He’s accused of transporting undocumented migrants within the U.S.
Abrego Garcia was indicted on two criminal counts of “conspiracy to transport aliens” and “unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens.”
In early May, video was released of Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers pulling him over in 2022. While he wasn’t charged during that initial traffic stop, Abrego Garcia’s latest charges stem from that incident.
During the traffic stop, troopers suspected Abgrego Garcia of human trafficking, but he was never charged and was allowed to leave the scene of the stop with only a warning about his expired driver’s license.
On Friday, a motion for detention and memorandum in support of pretrial detention was filed against Abrego Garcia in the U.S. District Court in Middle Tennessee.
In the motion, it states that the U.S. believes he’s a flight risk and wants Abgrego Garcia to remain detained now and through his pre-trial process.
“Over the past nine years, the defendant has played a significant role in an undocumented alien smuggling ring that has resulted in thousands of undocumented aliens being illegally transported into and throughout the United States, including members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha (”MS-13″), a recently designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, as well as unaccompanied minor children,” the motion states.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
