To: Eric Holder, Attorney General

Knox County Sheriff Vows to Stack Immigrants in His Jail Like Cord Wood

Please open an immediate civil rights investigation into the office of Sheriff JJ Jones in Knox County, TN. His past history and current vow to 'stack immigrants like cordwood' in his jail are cause for alarm and investigation.

Why is this important?

In response to a recent decision that denies his office participation in a federal deportation program that is slowly being phased out, Sheriff JJ Jones released an alarming statement on his website. He said:

"I will continue to enforce these federal immigration violations with or without the help of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If need be, I will stack these violators like cordwood in the Knox County jail..."

The fact that he was denied is partly because of massive community pressure to keep him from getting additional immigration powers when he already has a troubled past and a poor relationship with the immigrant community. Now he has publicly vowed to unconstitutionally detain immigrants and stack them in his jail. His statements blatantly expose a dangerously hostile attitude toward immigrants and high likelihood of racial bias in his policing.

Join Knoxville residents in calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Sheriff JJ Jones' office for racial bias and patterns of targeting immigrant community members. Our country doesn't need a "new Arpaio" like the one in Arizona - sign today and ask the DOJ to investigate.