Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall on Wednesday praised Nashville’s representatives in Congress for delivering on their promise to make Nashville’s participation in a federal immigration enforcement program a reality.

At a meeting hosted by Sen. Lamar Alexander in Washington, D.C., Hall was presented with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Julie Myers.

Myers’ signature on the document was needed before federal immigration officials could begin training a dozen sheriff’s deputies in using a federal database to screen every foreign-born person arrested in Nashville for immigration violations.

Hall said that in addition to the signed MOU – which still must be agreed to by the Metro Council before 287(g) screening can officially begin – Myers also told the sheriff that his department’s training will begin Saturday, March 3.

“I was impressed,” Hall said of Myers. “She came to the meeting with a date certain for training. She came with information. And she personally has been very responsive.”

But Hall said he has been most impressed with the Nashville congressional delegation, which he said was responsible for coordinating with Myers to turn his desire for immigration powers into a reality.

“Congressman [Jim] Cooper’s office, for sure, and Sen. Alexander’s office really helped,” Hall said.

In an interview following the meeting, Alexander praised both Hall and Myers for working toward the goal of making sure immigration laws are fully enforced.

“Nashville is now the wrong place for an illegal immigrant to break the law,” Alexander said.