Tennessee requires law enforcement to report illegal migrants to federal authorities under new law

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed a bill on Thursday that requires local law enforcement agencies to report illegal migrants to federal authorities, the Associated Press reported.

While other Democratic-run cities and states around the country are choosing to continue implementing so-called "sanctuary" policies that prohibit local and state police from coordinating with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tennessee has adopted a new measure that would mandate communication with federal agencies.

Lee signed into law House Bill 2124, which "requires law enforcement agencies and officials to communicate with the appropriate federal official regarding the immigration status of any individual, including reporting knowledge that a particular alien is not lawfully present in the United States or otherwise cooperate with the appropriate federal official in the identification, apprehension, detention, or removal of aliens not lawfully present in the United States."

The measure also ensures certain protections for victims and witnesses. It "prohibits a law enforcement agency from communicating with federal immigration officials regarding the immigration status of an individual who is a victim of or witness to possible criminal conduct."

Prior state law allowed law enforcement officers to communicate with federal authorities, but it did not require them to do so. However, the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police and the Tennessee Sheriffs Association stated that "all law enforcement agencies" are already coordinating with federal officials.

The new measure will take effect July 1.

"When there is an interaction with law enforcement, it's important that the appropriate authorities are notified of the status of that individual," Lee said Thursday. "I think that makes sense. So, I'm in support of that legislation."

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition argued that the bill is too broad.

Lisa Sherman Luna, the executive director for the TIRRC and TIRRC Votes, said that the governor "could have listened to the warnings from police chiefs, educators, domestic violence victims' advocates and legal experts and stopped this misguided bill from becoming law."

"Instead, he rubber-stamped the state legislature's continued descent into authoritarianism and green-lit a law that could open the door for racial profiling, unlawful detention, and separated families," she added.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Brent Taylor (R), disputed the claim that the measure would encourage racial profiling.

"This is not going down and hunting somebody who looks Hispanic, pulling them over and demanding papers," he remarked.

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