Nashville Mayor David Briley is calling on state lawmakers to repeal an anti-sanctuary city law, with a promise to dedicate the full weight of the mayor's office to support the effort.

Briley signed an executive order Tuesday stating the city will challenge the constitutionality of HB 2315, a state law that went into effect this year, which ends local governments’ access to state economic development funds if they do not comply with a ban on “sanctuary city” policies.

The mayor's move comes after reports last week that the city's probation department was actively cooperating with federal immigration agents seeking to deport immigrants in the country illegally.

WSMV first reported that the General Sessions Probation Department was sharing information on probationers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — prompting the mayor and broad swath of the Metro Council to demand investigations.

In one of her first moves taking over as presiding judge of the General Sessions Court this week, Judge Lynda Jones stood Tuesday in support of Briley as he signed the order at city hall.

"The city of Nashville believes that HB 2315 is bad for Nashville, and as a result, it's bad for the state," Briley said in an interview with The Tennessean. "It's bad because it makes it harder for us to keep our city safe. Harder for us to keep our city healthy. Harder for us to educate the children that live in this city. Ultimately, everybody is going to pay for those difficulties."

He said he encourages the legislature to rescind the law to allow Metro to work in a "reasonable way" to ensure that immigration laws can be enforced without destroying the sense of "community and openness and welcoming nature of the city."

Briley is running for reelection in the Sept. 12 mayoral election against At-large Metro Council member John Cooper. Early voting runs through Saturday.

The recent surge of immigration enforcement efforts has refocused Nashville's runoff race for mayor, bringing a national debate to Music City. It has also brought back to the forefront comments from Briley in his first run for mayor in 2007.

In that race, the then-at-large council member made a sudden change to his campaign after a fatal drunk driving incident involving an immigrant who entered the country illegally. Briley vowed to crack down on drunken driving by immigrants living in a country illegally and "zero tolerance" for employers who hire undocumented workers.

Briley told The Tennessean that 12 years ago he "didn't reflect carefully enough" on what he said in his campaign to make it "accurately reflect" his personal views.

"It is abundantly clear to me that immigrants make our city better in every way, and my actions and words for the past decade clearly demonstrate my beliefs about this," Briley said in a statement. “I have always maintained that diversity brings strength to a community like Nashville."

As part of the executive order, Briley is also directing each Metro agency to identify a person to be notified if any employee receives a request from federal immigration enforcement. The request will then be reported to the Director of the Mayor's Office of New Americans within three business days.

The same group will release an annual public report detailing the number of requests it received and whether it was declined or granted.

Exempt groups include independent governing authorities: Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville Electric Service, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, Metro Sports Authority and the Metro Hospital Authority. Briley is asking the groups to adopt a similar policy.

The executive order, Briley said, will make clear to Metro departments about how the city will track requests so that it is transparent to the public while giving the city a “more considered decision” whether to do it, while complying with the state law but also not doing more than it's needed.

The city cannot prohibit Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall, who controls the city's jails and is an independently elected official, from cooperating with federal authorities on immigration.

The agency has a contract with the federal government in which the sheriff holds people on behalf of ICE, among other agencies.

Although the executive order doesn't specifically list the sheriff's office, Thomas Mulgrew, a Briley spokesperson, said Metro is also requesting the sheriff's office to notify the city of any requests by federal immigration enforcement.

“It’s unfortunate the subject of immigration enforcement is used by both sides of the political spectrum at convenient times," Hall said in a statement Tuesday. "Not only does this mislead the public and create fear but it also confuses public safety employees. Now, there is a local executive order that further complicates the issue."

Hall said his office will "continue to bring a balanced, responsible approach" to the matter and will follow state law "regardless of the political environment."

Briley says 'low' chance of convincing Republican-dominated legislature

While Briley called the likelihood of the state legislature reversing itself entirely on the law “low,” he said he retains some optimism that lawmakers would “adjust” it.

Republicans hold a super majority in the Tennessee General Assembly and the GOP has often been critical of more progressive policy stances in the state's cities.

“There’s some compelling arguments to be made about HB 2315 that makes us all less safe,” Briley said, adding that the constitutionality of the law should be further investigated.

He said the mayors in the biggest cities across the state, as well as those who have large immigrant populations, should organize together to address local relationships with federal agencies.

“I think that's really what it's all about, bringing mayors together to talk to legislators about the reality of what all this means. The legislature is engaged in a lot of rhetoric around immigration and mayors have to deal with the reality of it all” Briley said. “And I think we ought to try and convince the legislature that the reality should prevail over the rhetoric.”

If HB2315 is repealed or deemed invalid, no Metro employee should assist or allow any Metro resources to be used to cooperate with any federal immigration enforcement, except when legally required to do so by state or federal law or by court order, the executive order states.

Unless given a warrant, Metro employees and agencies cannot give federal agents access to an individual detained or in custody, cannot transfer the individual into federal custody or allow federal agents to use Metro facilities and resources to investigate for the purposes for immigration enforcement.

They cannot share, unless in a valid public records request or if required by law, information on a person's custody and release status, home and work address or other information. Metro employees won't be able to request information from an individual about their citizenship or immigration status unless required by law or court order.

“The Metro Council adopted just the opposite of (HB)2315, or came close to it. And so I think it's a pretty clear indication of the split between the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee," the mayor said. "A lot of it having to do with the realities we are seeing.”

Order similar to 2017 Metro Council efforts

Portions of executive order are similar to what the Metro Council tried to accomplish in 2017 with a pair of immigration bills. Dubbed the "Nashville Together" ordinances, the measures sought to prevent Metro from using city funds and facilities to enforce federal immigration law.

It included a prohibition on agreeing to detainer requests from federal immigration officials unless they are accompanied by a federal warrant signed by a judge. It also would have prohibited Metro employees from requesting information about a person's immigration or citizenship status.

Although it had momentum among council members, the efforts were derailed when former Mayor Megan Barry urged the council to "reconsider" the immigration ordinance after Metro Director of Law Jon Cooper issued a legal opinion that said the ordinance was not enforceable.

Hall opposed the bills. Republicans in the Tennessee legislature led opposition to the Nashville proposal as well, condemning the council and threatening to overturn a proposal they alleged would turn Nashville into a "sanctuary city" for immigrants in the nation illegally.

At-large Council member Bob Mendes, who sponsored the bill with Council member Colby Sledge, called Metro legal's opinion "damaging" because of the inability under council process to amend legislation following second-reading votes. The legislation was withdrawn.

Had the 2017 ordinances been approved, the actions of the probation department feeding ICE information would have violated Metro law.

Mendes called the mayor's executive order an "important step."

"I appreciate the Mayor's clear efforts to comply with state law," Mendes said in a statement. "I just hope that this new policy has not been too hurried to be effective."

But he said there are inconsistencies in the language that he would like to understand better, including if the order covers the General Sessions probation office and the sheriff's office, and if the order reflects a shift in existing policy or is simply repeating it, by stating that officers will not inquire about an individuals's country of origin, unless necessary for identifications purposes.

The executive order also directs the office of New Americans to partner with immigration and refugee communities to track developments in immigration policy and enforcement.

To protect victims and witnesses of crimes, Metro will continue to fully participate in the federal U-Visa Program, and will continue to provide additional resources to the Office of Family Safety's Jean Crowe Advocacy Center to provide a safe place to wait while attending court appearances.

Council member Fabian Bedne, who was at the order signing Tuesday, said he was "adamantly against" the state law from the "very beginning."

"I think the state needs to stop messing with Nashville and instead help us with the tools that we need to be successful in the city," he said.

While they appreciate the intent of the executive order, advocates with the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition say they believe the city can do more to leverage Metro's authority under existing laws to protect Nashville immigrants.

“By signing this executive order, Mayor Briley has shown he understands the impact that increased immigration enforcement is having on the lives of immigrant families and their safety in our city," Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of TIRRC said in a statement, that says the group agrees HB2315 should be repealed.

The order, she said, overstates Metro limitations, and that even under the law, there are concrete steps city government can take to disentangle local agencies from federal immigration enforcement.

"In this historic moment, the city must use every tool we have to protect immigrant families, Teatro said. "We hope this executive order is the first in a more robust set of policies from the Mayor and Metro Council that protect immigrant families and draw a bright line between the work of the city and federal immigration enforcement."

Yihyun Jeong covers politics in Nashville for USA TODAY NETWORK - TENNESSEE. Reach her at yjeong@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @yihyun_jeong.