Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
While many law enforcement officers are already trained concerning their role in enforcing federal immigration laws, a bill passed the Senate on Monday which will require that Tennessee Sheriff’s departments who already have a memorandum of understanding in the 287(g) federal immigration program “accept and honor” federal immigration detainers.
SB1486 by Sen. Brent Taylor requires these Sheriffs to comply with the conditions in the ICE detainers, including keeping a detained illegal alien for 48 hours beyond the time the subject would have otherwise been released from local custody to ensure there is enough time for federal immigration authorities to take custody of the subject before they are allowed back into the community.
The original bill initially applied these regulations to all law enforcement agencies with a holding facility, but an amendment narrowed the scope to only Sheriffs’ departments already in the 287(g) program as a way to reduce the bill’s fiscal note to “Not Significant” and allow the legislation to move forward.
And while the amendment seemed to weaken the measure, it was likely amenable to the sponsor as it helped circumvent a difficult fiscal note and his knowing another piece of legislation is progressing which would require all Tennessee Sheriffs’ departments to enter the 287(g) program.
On the Senate floor, Sen. Taylor confirmed that should the other legislation pass, the requirements in SB1486 would ultimately apply to all Sheriff’s departments in Tennessee, thereby encompassing the original intent of his bill.
After some debate with Senate Democrats who claimed the bill was unneeded and restrictive to local governments to manage their own governance and risk, the vote was 27-5 along party lines in favor of passage.
The House has already passed their version of the bill, HB2018, but since the Senate added the amendment narrowing the application to only Sheriffs in the 287(g) program, the bill will have to revisit the House and have the amendment approved before the bill can go to Gov. Lee for signature into law.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
