Criminalizing Local Officials for Voting to Support Immigrants Raises Significant Constitutional Concerns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today the Tennessee General Assembly passed SB 6002/HB 6001, an immigration enforcement bill that creates a new class E felony for any official who votes in support of alleged “sanctuary policies.”
This legislation also creates a new division within the Department of Safety to coordinate immigration enforcement with the federal government; incentives local participation in the 287(g) program, which deputizes local law enforcement to act as immigration agents; and creates a specially marked license for lawful permanent residents and people authorized to be in the country for a specific time period.
ACLU-TN Legal Director Stella Yarbrough had the following reaction:
“This unprecedented, unconstitutional legislation will inflict unimaginable harm on people who have immigrated to Tennessee seeking freedom and a better life, and criminalize any local officials who vote in support of ‘sanctuary policies.’ Threatening officials with felony charges and criminal prosecution based solely on how they vote raises significant constitutional concerns. This authoritarian legislation is incompatible with the bedrock American values of democracy and the rule of law, and we have no choice but to challenge it in court. Any elected official concerned with how this legislation will impact them should contact the ACLU of Tennessee.”
The ACLU of Tennessee’s legal intake form can be found online at: https://action.aclu.org/legal-intake/aclu-tn-legal-intake-form
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