KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Undocumented immigrants and supporters blocked traffic Tuesday in downtown Knoxville to protest law enforcement ties to federal programs.
Police detained four protestors and cited three of them for blocking traffic.
Members of several immigration groups walked down Gay Street before heading to the Knox County Sheriff's Office.
They said programs adopted in a collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities lead to increased separation of families.
The protestors spoke out against the 287(g) program, a component of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ACCESS (Agreements of Cooperation in Communities to Enhance Safety and Security) program.
The 287(g) agreement allows local law enforcement agencies to participate in illegal immigrant roundups.
The programs allow local officers to check federal databases for the immigration status of arrested individuals.
Protesters say the measures lead to unfair deportations and constitute racial profiling.
Several groups were represented by the protestors, including No Papers No Fear Riders, Knoxville United Against Racism, Allies for Knoxville Immigrant Neighbors (AKIN) Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and the Unknowns Working to be Known.
One of Tuesday's speakers was Alejandro Guizar, 19, of Knoxville. He is an undocumented immigrant in deportation proceedings.
All criminal charges were dropped in a case against Guizar, but he continues to fight deportation.
Guizar, Maria Huerta, 65, Maricela Lou, 52, and Fraces Ashley, 65, blocked the intersection on Gay and Hill Streets. They sat on a sign that read "No Papers No Fear," and a banner with the words "Sheriff J.J. Jones' racism hurts Knoxville."
Huerta, Lou, and Ashley were released after being cited for blocking traffic. Guizar was transferred to the Knox County Detention Facility.
Another rally and march was held in downtown Tuesday night.
Several groups joined in the protest.
Some protestors blocked traffic on Gay Street.
Police took four into custody after they sat on a banner in the street.
