Sheriff Fuller Talks Immigration and Other Concerns to Winchester Noon Rotary
- Terri Carter
- Oct 8
- 5 min read
The Winchester Noon Rotary Club held their weekly meeting last Tuesday with Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller spotlighting as the guest speaker. Sheriff Fuller spoke of his recent visit to the White House and issues concerning how immigration and the border crises is affecting the county, country, and local law enforcement.
Beginning with the immigration issue, Fuller stated that the local law enforcement agencies had begun a program back in 2008.
“If you come through the jail, you’re arrested for a crime.”, stated Fuller. “On the local level, if you don’t have a social security number, you’re going to get ran through ICE. There are a lot of those guys, in 2008 and today, who have been detained because they are illegal. They are here illegally.”
The sheriff went on the explain that the amount of people being detained has fluctuated with the different presidential administrations. As of the day of the rotary meeting, the Franklin County Jail had four inmates who are detained because of being in the country illegally. Fuller stated that once the inmates finish out their local sentence, they will be deported back to their home country.
“These guys that get in trouble that are illegally here in the United States, it’s simple crimes. It’s nothing catastrophic.”, stated Fuller.
A large portion of law enforcement have signed up to be a part of 287(g) program, a program that allows local law enforcement agencies to partner with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) to perform certain immigration enforcement duties within the jail. The sheriff explained that, for Franklin County, this meant that the agency has a warrant’s officer in their facility who can detain the immigrants themselves, through ICE.
“The concern I had with this administration is this.”, said Fuller. “We have people who work here and who have worked here for 15, 20, and even 30 years that are Hispanic or other nationalities. They work here. They work for farms. They work for nurseries and grain farmers and so forth.”
Sheriff Fuller shared that, upon review, he found that the majority of immigrants working in Franklin County possess the proper documentation to live and work in the area legally. He noted that local employers have taken the necessary steps to verify their employees’ legal status, demonstrating a commitment to following established procedures and maintaining compliance.
“I feel good about that possibility.”, stated Fuller. “But I have mixed feelings on immigration. Most of these people come here for a good life. They want to improve their situation. And I’ll tell you up front because I see it quite often. If you get behind a Hispanic couple in the grocery store, they’re paying cash money. They aren’t using food stamps. Same thing at places like the emergency room. They’re paying cash.”
“But at the same time, the premise is, if they came here illegally, they are illegal. Bottom line. And we have to enforce the law. That’s the bottom line too. So, I have mixed emotions about this a little bit.”
Sheriff Fuller then pivoted to his meeting with President Donald Trump that was held during the summer. The sheriff went as part of the Executive Committee of the National Sheriffs and the meeting is typically customary twice a year. During the Biden administration, no meetings were scheduled.
During the meeting with the president, the sheriff stated that the main issues addressed included mental health among inmates and cell phone and phone call policies that had been implemented by the Federal Communication Commission.
“The number one issue for all sheriffs throughout the United States was mental health.”, stated Fuller. “Most of the jails have mental health issues and that was the number one issue to meet with him about.”
Sheriff Fuller addressed the concern involving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which had proposed a mandate requiring sheriff’s offices to provide free phone calls and cell phones to inmates. He expressed that the implementation could result in significant financial strain for local departments. Sheriff Fuller described the proposal as an overreach, noting that it placed an undue burden on county resources. He also shared that the White House had not been initially aware of the issue, but following the meeting, corrective action was taken within two weeks to resolve the matter.
Fuller stated another issue that was addressed was the border and fentanyl crisis.
“The border has affected every one of us.”, stated Fuller. “Whether you like it or not, it has affected us. Fentanyl is a huge issue too and it’s connected to the border as well.”
Fuller stated that he believed the meeting went really well, he was impressed with the president’s demeanor, and he is confident they will be meeting with him again in the future.
The sheriff then opened the floor to questioning, giving the Rotarians and their visitors an opportunity to ask questions that were important to them.
One question asked pertained to the workload that has been put on the officers in the sheriff’s department in relation to illegal immigration in Franklin County. While the sheriff said it wasn’t as taxing as one would expect the biggest issue the sheriff department has is with communication and translation of the different languages.
“We do have interpreters here.”, stated Fuller. “But what concerns me, I see it through our SROs in the elementary schools, a lot of these kids that show up to the schools can’t speak English. That’s troubling to me. It may take some time for them to learn our language, but I do think it’s critically important.”
When asked about the presence of human trafficking in Franklin County, Sheriff Fuller acknowledged that while the issue exists locally, many of the cases stem from activity in larger surrounding cities such as Murfreesboro, Nashville, Huntsville, and Chattanooga. He explained that trafficking networks often spill over into neighboring counties, creating challenges for smaller communities. Though Franklin County is not considered a major hub, the sheriff emphasized the importance of continued vigilance, collaboration with regional law enforcement, and public awareness to help identify and prevent trafficking-related crimes.
“Where we see the issue more than ever before, pretty much on a weekly basis, you will suspect. But you don’t know.”, said Fuller.
The sheriff stated that once or twice a year law enforcement will do what they refer to as a Human Trafficking Operation, where they set up a sting operation of a male person wanting to meet a female person.
“I’ve seen this happen where we’ve locked up eight or nine people at a time.”, stated Fuller. “The females are seeking them out. A lot of times they are prostitutes but they’re from Columbia, maybe Nashville, wherever. So, that’s where we really see it more than you would think.”
The sheriff ended his time at the podium by expressing deep appreciation and pride in his department and local leadership.
“I am super appreciative of what we got, and I’ll tell anybody this.”, stated Fuller. “I’ve been blessed with good county commissioners and good mayors. I’ve been blessed with good people, period.”
The sheriff stated that he wanted to end what he had to say by stating that he has served 43 years in law enforcement and started out when Lamar Alexander was governor. He expressed that today’s governor, Bill Lee, has done more for law enforcement than anyone else in his entire career, financially. He expressed appreciation for the governor’s efforts in highway patrol and local grant funds that have been paramount to the department.
