TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jan 23, 2025

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and top Republican legislative leaders yesterday outlined an immigration agenda for the upcoming special session. Elements include creating a special centralized Immigration Enforcement Division within the Department of Safety, appointing a new chief immigration enforcement officer, creating a Class E felony for local officials who adopt or maintain “sanctuary city” policies and authorizing the state attorney general to initiate removal proceedings for officials convicted under the proposed new law, raising standards for state-issued IDs, encouraging local officials to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and a grant program to help local governments support federal and state immigration policies. In related news, the Associated Press is reporting that interim leaders in the U.S. Justice Department have directed U.S. attorneys to investigate local law enforcement officials who refuse to enforce new federal immigration policies.