Sat
Jan 10 2026
07:47 am
Feds looking for West Knox detention location?
By: bizgrrl

The General Services Administration has put the word out, looking to rent an office space in West Knoxville for federal law enforcement. The office space may end up being used to process, detain or question prisoners, according to the listing.

It did "say detainees could end up in the building." "...federal officers inside may question those detainees"

“This requirement will house a federal law enforcement office where employees can or have the potential to carry weapons, weapons will be stored on-site and individuals may be temporarily detained and/or questioned.”

Well, isn't that special. Are the representatives of Knoxville and Knox County as well as residents going to go along to get along? I can only hope they don't want to come to Blount County.

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fischbobber's picture

Glenn Jacobs ties to the President

Submitted by fischbobber on Sat, 2026/01/10 - 6:26pm.

You have to wonder how much danger local writers, artists, activists and religious leaders are actually in. I know of at least ten people that would be on their target list. How do we defend them? How do we defend ourselves? I mean, I bought fifty whistles yesterday. I'm wondering if that will be enough.

bizgrrl's picture

Be careful out there.

Submitted by bizgrrl on Sat, 2026/01/10 - 7:51pm.
(in reply to fischbobber)

Be careful out there.

bizgrrl's picture

Or, maybe stay home. Keep

Submitted by bizgrrl on Sat, 2026/01/10 - 9:11pm.
(in reply to fischbobber)

Or, maybe stay home. Keep yourself safe.

fischbobber's picture

I've been staying home.

Submitted by fischbobber on Mon, 2026/01/12 - 10:02am.
(in reply to bizgrrl)

And periodically changing the way I look. Five years ago everything I wrote was considered hyperboly. Now I'm really not even radical. Interestingly, I'm not convinced ICE is going to have the support here they think they might have, and frankly, I'm as concerned about the people that may well stand up to them as I am ICE. There's a reason East Tennessee was no man's land during the civil war. Obscure and underground is the life for me. Just like Green Acres.

Up Goose Creek's picture

Reminder

Submitted by Up Goose Creek on Tue, 2026/01/13 - 9:14am.

Someone can remind ICE of the long standing animosity to federal agents. Maybe put it to music.

"Once ten strangers came to RockyTop, looking for a landscape crew..."

fischbobber's picture

A few thoughts on the Sheriff's Office.......

Submitted by fischbobber on Tue, 2026/01/13 - 12:31pm.
(in reply to Up Goose Creek)

There's a 500 pound gorilla in the room in Knox County about the increased ICE presence, and it is this, if ICE will improve things, what are we accusing Spangler of doing wrong? For better or worse we have a conservative southern sheriff. So what are we trying to improve? The jail has to be manned and managed. When I was their driver, they stayed pretty full. Even when they would spillover barrack, the population was orderly. Regardless of the purpose of a prisoner surge, the surge will change the dynamic in the jail.
Second, I'm one of those guys that looks at arrests from time to time. Based on what I can see, immigration violators comprise a way higher percentage of people being arrested than any other group. Spangler IS catching these bad guys. Nobody is explaining what he's supposed to be doing wrong. Every single major problem that occurred under Spangler was dealt with in a manner that has insured the same mistake wasn't made twice. People make mistakes. Leaders fix therm.
Spangler has a network set up throughout the county by which he gathers information. He's been here all his life. He was a good cop, hung out with good cops, built his organization with good people. Conservative Southern Sheriffs don't always act in an ethical, professional manner. And you can bet your bottom dollar he knows what's going on. We're lucky. So why do we need the disruption of our schools going on lockdowns to prevent federal agents from dragging students of their choice out into the streets? People don't seem to understand there's a point where increased enforcement invites pushback and is counterproductive. Spangler's always seemed to understand that and I don't ever recall that being an institutional issue at the Sheriff's department. Or in Knox County. Until now.
In Tennessee the County Sheriff is the most constitutionally powerful post in the nation. The US Constitution delegates the parameters of law enforcement to the State and the state defines the position and it's powers in the State constitution. Those powers are absolute. Tom Spangler holds that power in Knox County and he has always used it responsibly. It would be a grave error to take that power away from our County Sheriff and turn it over to ICE.

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