Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, three of Tennessee's most popular tourist destinations for North Carolina families, are raising growing concerns after a series of immigration stops involving federal agents and local law enforcement.
The situation in these Sevier County cities has generated fear and uncertainty among members of the Latino community who live and work there, who, in many cases, are locked in their homes for fear of being arrested.
Witnesses reported that, through traffic stopsUnder the pretext of minor infractions, the authorities investigate the immigration status of the people traveling in the vehicles.
Dana, a U.S. citizen, as were her children, told Enlace Latino NC who is still in awe of her experience, after being approached by authorities identified as federal and local.
“It all happened very fast. First, a police vehicle pulled up behind me and turned on its lights, but within seconds other vehicles blocked my path and positioned themselves on either side,” he recounted.
“I was traveling with my children and they went straight to ask him about his migratory status "My son, who was in the front seat, was also taken into custody. Then, other officers approached my door to question me," he added.
“They stop you because of your skin color”
With families sheltering in their homes and others choosing to move out of the state, the Latino community is expressing fear in the face of these immigration operations.
“They stop you because of your skin color Or if you have a work vehicle. At a minimum, it's one sheriff's or police car and another black federal one,” Miguel explained to Enlace Latino NC.
“Last week everyone was locked in their homes and didn’t go to work,” he added.
Miguel indicated that, unlike other states, where organizations and volunteers They coordinated to defend the communityIn this county, there is no such presence to help her.
“The help, which is also valuable, comes from volunteers and church members who distribute food, do the shopping, or meet other needs.”
Related: Heading to the beach? Find out which Carolina counties have 287(g) agreements with ICE
Economic impact
Several recent reports on the immigration operations They point out that lawyers, community leaders, and business owners fear economic impacts, as many Latino workers are employed in hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, cleaning services, maintenance, and construction.
key data
- Visitors spent $3,929 billion (almost $4 billion) in Sevier County during 2024, a 2% increase over the previous year.
- This tourist activity generated:
- $251.7 million in state taxes.
- $187.2 million in local taxes.
- Without the revenue generated by tourism, each household in the county would have to pay approximately $11,191 more in state and local taxes.
- Sevier County ranks third in Tennessee in tourist spending, behind only Nashville (Davidson) and Memphis (Shelby) counties.
*Report prepared by Tourism Economics and the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development
Related: More arrests, fewer jobs: Immigration raids destroyed thousands of jobs in North Carolina
Collaboration with ICE, through program 287(g)
In Tennessee, collaboration between local agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has expanded through the federal program 287(g), which allows certain immigration control functions to be delegated to state and local officials trained by the federal agency.
In addition to sheriff's offices and police departments, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security—the state agency that oversees, among other divisions, the Tennessee Highway Patrol—maintains an agreement under the model Task Force with ICE.
This department also houses the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division (CIED), created to coordinate collaboration between state and federal agencies on immigration matters.
In Sevier County, the sheriff has agreements under two modalities of the 287(g) program: the model Warrant Service Officer (WSO), which allows trained officers to execute administrative immigration orders within jails, and the model Task Force, which expands the participation of local agents in immigration actions under ICE supervision.
The Sevierville Police Department is also among the agencies that have signed agreements under the model Task Force in 2025. According to ICE.
This model authorizes certified local officers to exercise limited immigration powers during their regular police duties, including some community interventions.
Police Department confirms collaboration with other agencies
“Any ICE operation in the city of Sevierville is conducted through the Department of Homeland Security, so you should contact that agency for comment,” said Joseph S. Manning, Chief of the Sevierville Police Department.
Tennessee, a Enlace Latino NC .
“When requested, Sevierville Police Department officers collaborate with other agencies, including local, state, and federal agencies,” he said.
Furthermore, Manning emphasized that "this does not represent any change to our usual law enforcement functions."
“We continue to maintain a very good relationship with the residents and visitors of our community,” he concluded.
*This article was updated on June 10, 2026, to incorporate a statement from the Sevierville Police Department. As of press time, the Sevier County Sheriff's Office had not responded to requests for comment regarding these operations.
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