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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A Tennessee bill was introduced earlier this year that would put illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes behind bars for life.
House Bill 1872 (HB1872) sponsored by Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston-District 32) and corresponding Senate Bill 2770 (SB2770) sponsored by Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16) have been assigned to committees but there is nothing on the calendar in either chamber yet.
The proposed law aims to deter those who are coming across the southern United States border and making their way to Tennessee with the intention to engage in drug or human trafficking.
According to the bill, drug and human trafficking lead to violent crime and “enhancing the penalty for a crime will reduce the frequency of that crime occurring.” The bill also seeks to make schools safer from violent crime.
In addition to enhancement factors already prescribed under current law, the statutory penalty would be increased if this bill becomes law, authorizing a court to convict those found guilty of certain offenses to imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole.
This would apply to:
(1) Defendants being convicted for a violent crime if they were an illegal alien at the time of the offense,
(2) The use or display of a deadly weapon during a crime that an illegal alien committed,
(3) The conviction is for committing a violent crime and the offense occurred at a school (public or private elementary school, middle school, high school, college of applied technology, postsecondary vocational or technical school, or two-year or four-year college or university.)
If the bill succeeds in becoming law, the convictions of illegal immigrants for violent crimes and the use of deadly weapons would be required to be reported to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Advisory Council.
TBI would then determine any correlations between the arrests and subsequent convictions on incidents of human trafficking within the state.
Nine Republican co-sponsors have signed onto the proposed legislation in the House. The Representatives that support the bill are Jody Barrett (R-Dickson-District 69), Ed Butler (R-Rickman-District 41), Kip Capley (R-Summertown-District 71), Chris Hurt (R-Halls-District 82), Kelly Keisling (R-Byrdstown-District 38), Lowell Russell (R-Vonore-District 21), Chris Todd (R-Madison County- District 73), Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill-District 92), and Mark White (R-Memphis-District 83).
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative.
You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
