Coalition for Open Government questions law enforcement identity bill

A bill sponsored by Sen. Jack Johnson, a Franklin Republican, would protect the identities of law enforcement agents engaged in immigration enforcement. (Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht/Tennessee Lookout)

Tennessee’s public records watchdog is raising questions about a Republican-backed bill that would conceal the names of all law enforcement officers involved in immigration enforcement.

The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government put Senate Bill 1464 sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson at the top of its list for problematic bills this session.

“Changes need to be made in this bill. Secrecy can protect bad actors,” said Deborah Fisher, executive director of the coalition, in a release. “If identities must be confidential to protect a particular officer or official, it should be for a limited amount of time and based on real and documented threats.”

Johnson, a Franklin Republican spearheading the state’s efforts to remove undocumented immigrants, told the Lookout he’s willing to work with the Coalition for Open Government to avoid interfering with public records on law enforcement activities normally available to the public. 

“But going out of your way to doxx or provide personal information about ICE officers with the intention of harassment or something for them and their families, that’s what we’re not going to tolerate,” Johnson said.

Johnson filed the bill in June 2025 after Metro Nashville listed the identities of some Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on its web site following a federal and state operation to round up immigrants without legal documentation in South Nashville. 

Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said the names listed inadvertently and were removed. But he still drew criticism from Republican lawmakers who are now focusing on Nashville with this measure.

Fisher said the bill also could require redaction of officers’ names from arrest affidavits, court filings and judicial records, giving “blanket” protection to state, local and federal officers who take part in immigration enforcement.

The bill contains no end date for the length of time that identities would remain confidential or a mechanism to make identities public even when it’s important for public oversight, Fisher said.

“The bill prioritizes safety of officers by redacting their names from records, but it sacrifices transparency,” Fisher said in the statement. She noted that it is possible to protect law enforcement officers without secrecy.

Republicans also introduced a separate package of bills last week designed to target undocumented immigrants statewide, mainly by requiring local and state governments to keep track of people’s immigration status.