Bill > HB0010

This bill, known as the Tennessee Illegal Immigration Act, requires law enforcement agencies to take specific actions when encountering individuals believed to be unlawfully present in the United States. When an agency has custody of such an individual, they must request an immigration detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If an immigration detainer is received, the agency must keep the individual in custody for the maximum time specified in the detainer or until ICE takes them into custody. If no detainer is received or the individual is not taken into federal custody, the law enforcement agency must transport the individual to a sanctuary city of their choice located outside Tennessee and within 700 miles. The agency must then record the costs of detention and transportation and report these costs monthly to the Tennessee Department of Revenue. If the federal government does not reimburse these costs within 30 days, the state will withhold an equivalent amount from federal motor fuel tax collections that would typically be sent to the federal highway administration. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and aims to create a mechanism for local agencies to recoup expenses related to handling individuals without legal immigration status.