Image Credit: TN General Assembly
Tennessee Conservative News Staff –
A bill that will require Tennessee law enforcement agencies to hold onto illegal immigrants longer so that federal immigration authorities can take custody passed the Senate Judiciary Committee along party lines on Monday.
Senate Bill 1486 (SB1486) adds a subdivision to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-68-105(b).
Tennessee law already requires that law enforcement agencies “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” and asks that law enforcement cooperate with federal officials in identifying, apprehending, detaining, or removing those not lawfully present in the U.S.
While officers are already required to be trained concerning their role in enforcing federal immigration laws, the proposed legislation mandates that law enforcement “accept and honor” federal immigration detainers, meaning that they comply with the requested conditions in the immigration detainer.
Included in the new subdivision is a requirement that law enforcement agencies and officers maintain “custody of the subject of an immigration detainer for 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, beyond the time when the subject would have otherwise been released from the law enforcement agency’s custody to allow federal immigration authorities to take custody of the subject and notifying federal immigration authorities as soon as possible prior to releasing the subject of the immigration detainer.”
If passed, the law would take effect July 1st of this year.
SB1486 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, March 9th with 7 Republican votes in favor and 2 Democrat votes in opposition. The bill now moves forward to the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.
The House version of the bill (HB2018) is scheduled to be heard today (March 10) in the House Departments and Agencies Subcommittee in a meeting beginning at 1030AM Central Time.
House Departments & Agencies Subcommittee– HB2018 to be heard Tuesday, March 10.
HB2018- Law enforcement hold illegals longer so federal agencies can assume custody
Rep.rick.eldridge@capitol.tn.gov; rep.michele.carringer@capitol.tn.gov; rep.jesse.chism@capitol.tn.gov; rep.john.crawford@capitol.tn.gov; rep.michael.lankford@capitol.gov; rep.greg.martin@capitol.tn.gov; rep.larry.miller@capitol.tn.gov; rep.dennis.powers@capitol.tn.gov
