ICE agents not immune from lawsuit
By JOHN HENSON/jhenson@c-dh.net

NASHVILLE — Immigration agents, who with the Maury County Sheriff’s Department arrested 14-suspected illegal immigrants, will not be entitled to immunity from a lawsuit filed against them.

The order was issued Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Echols in a motion for summary judgment made by ICE agents represented by the U.S. Attorney for Middle Tenn.

While the defendants are denied immunity, the plaintiffs in the case may not recover money damages from the unnamed ICE agents acting on behalf of the U.S. Government, the judge ruled.

George, three deputies and three unnamed ICE agents made the arrests July 3, 2007. A lawsuit was filed by Nashville attorney Eliot Ozment July 10, 2007, stating Maury County Sheriff Enoch George, his officers, Maury County and ICE agents conspired to deprive the plaintiffs of their basic constitutional rights.

Even though the plaintiffs lost the ability to recover monetary damages, there are “numerous genuine issues of material fact,â€