The Tennessee Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division has distributed nearly $900,000 in grants to local law enforcement agencies participating in federal immigration enforcement efforts, according to a report obtained by the Tennessee Lookout. The division, established in 2025 under the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, oversees coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through 287(g) agreements, which authorize local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions. Between August and December, the division allocated $866,843 in funding for equipment and operational expenses, though it has not disclosed the agencies receiving the grants. The office, led by Chief Immigration Enforcement Officer Ryan Hubbard, was created by state lawmakers to support expanded immigration enforcement. It has faced criticism over limited transparency, as some records are exempt from public disclosure under state law.

A Tennessee law that went into effect Jan. 1 is the nation's first registry to track repeat domestic violence offenders, but there are holes in the system, according to Knox News. Under Savanna's Law, a "persistent domestic violence offender” — defined as someone with more than one domestic violence offense — is required to register in a public database maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. But if the person has an offense expunged, the record no longer shows up and a new conviction would not trigger the registration requirement. Legal experts say the intersection of diversion, expungement and registry requirements exposes limitations of the law as judges cannot consider expunged offenses in setting bond or identifying repeat conduct.

Gov. Bill Lee has proposed that the state cover a funding shortfall for the Tennessee Poison Center following the loss of a federal grant, according to the Tennessee Lookout. The center, based at Vanderbilt University, operates a call service that provides free emergency poison information, reportedly handling more than 50,000 calls annually. Officials estimate the center saved taxpayers $44.6 million in 2024 by reducing unnecessary emergency room visits, particularly among underinsured populations. The center also serves as a surge backup call center for the Tennessee Department of Health during public health emergencies. Lee included funding for the center in his annual budget amendment, which must be approved by state lawmakers before the end of the legislative session.

Fired University of Tennessee (UT) professor, Tamar Shirinian is asking a judge to add specific state and federal legislators to her lawsuit against the university in a new court filing. According to Knox News, the new motion zeroes in on people Shirinian says defamed her and directly intervened with UT leaders to urge that she be fired. Shirinian was fired after her private Facebook comment criticizing Charlie Kirk after his assassination was shared online by another individual. Shirinian added Rep. Chris Todd, R-Jackson, and U.S. Republican Rep. Tim Burchett, along with an anonymous donor who allegedly threatened to pull a $10 million gift to the university's engineering department if she was not fired. The motion also refines Shirinian's claims against university administrators, alleging they “did not rely on, ignored, or purposely failed to seek legal guidance before acting." UT System spokeswoman Melissa Tindell responded to the report saying, “As a matter of practice, the university does not comment on pending or active litigation."

Student attorneys Alexander J. McGrail and John R. Neal Jr., working with the Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic, have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in Hussey v. City of Cambridge, urging the court to strengthen First Amendment protections for public employees, according to a press release from Vanderbilt Law School. The case involves a police officer disciplined over social media comments made in a private capacity on matters of public concern. The brief argues that applying the Pickering balancing test to controversial or unpopular speech should not allow government employers to suppress such expression, warning it could effectively create a “heckler’s veto.” It also contends that employers should be required to provide evidence that employee speech would cause workplace disruption. Joined by several legal scholars and advocacy organizations, the filing asks the full 1st Circuit to reconsider prior rulings in the case, with a decision expected next year.

Cornelius Smith, the second alleged gunman in the November 2021 killing of Memphis rapper Young Dolph, is expected to enter a plea agreement March 30, the Commercial Appeal reports. Smith previously testified in the trials of Justin Johnson and Hernandez Govan, stating he took part in the shooting. Prior to testifying, Smith had not reached a plea agreement, and his court proceedings have been repeatedly delayed.

Jurors in two of the first U.S. trials in a growing wave of lawsuits against social media companies have found Meta and Google liable for harms to young users, potentially setting up appeals that could reshape the scope of legal protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, Reuters reports. In California, a jury on Wednesday awarded $6 million to a young woman who said she developed depression and suicidal thoughts after becoming addicted to Instagram and YouTube, while a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million after finding it misled users about product safety and enabled the sexual exploitation of children. The cases mark a challenge to the law that generally shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content, as plaintiffs successfully argued the companies’ platform design — rather than third-party content — caused harm. Both companies have said they plan to appeal.

The TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast returned this week, featuring attorney and TBA lobbyist Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies LLC, along with attorneys and TBA lobbyists Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin of Adams & Reese, and Adams & Reese intern Aydan Hawk. The group recapped the TBA’s recent Day on the Hill and reviewed several key pieces of legislation, including bills on extrajudicial adoptions HB1263/SB1238; real estate HB569/SB394, HB1970/SB1985 and HB1762/SB1707; adoption SB2165/HB2350; probate SB2184/HB2451 and family law SB2324/HB2429. Tune in on the TBA website or through this link. Attorneys interested in supporting the TBA’s lobbying efforts can contribute to LAWPAC.

Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Judge Stacy Street to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, Eastern Section. Street currently is serving as a criminal court judge in the 1st Judicial District. He earned his bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and law degree from the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. Street’s appointment fills a vacancy created by Judge Kyle Hixson’s elevation to the Tennessee Supreme Court. The appointment is effective July 7 and is subject to legislative confirmation. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors, an 18-year-old Nashville nonprofit providing free or low-cost immigration legal services, has adopted a co-directorship model — bringing on Melinda Noblitt alongside existing leader Tessa Lemos Del Pino — to handle the surge in demand driven by rapidly changing immigration policy. Caseloads have nearly doubled, jumping from about 1,000 cases in 2024 to nearly 1,900 in 2025, with staff also fielding around 2,000 calls from people seeking help, information or referrals. The nonprofit says immigrants with legal status are being detained because officers often don't understand the complexity of documentation. With the new leadership structure, the organization aims to build more nonprofit partnerships, pursue additional grant funding and expand capacity — while helping immigrants understand their constitutional rights in the current climate. The Nashville Business Journal has the story.