(The Center Square) – People illegally in the country with a deportation order could face charges if in Tennessee, according to a bill moving in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 1704 creates a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail, for anyone who has a deportation order. Anyone previously deported or denied entry to the U.S. could also be charged.
The proposal, sponsored by House Majority Leader Williams Lamberth, of Portland, will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson of Franklin, is in that chamber’s Judiciary Committee, but no hearing has been set.
“House Majority Leader Willam Lamberth’s bill to criminalize illegal immigrants who ignore deportation orders and refuse to leave our state sends a clear message from Tennessee: if you are in our state illegally, it’s time to pack your bags,” said U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., in a social media post. “Illegal means illegal.”
To enter America from another country, if not a U.S. citizen, a visa or some other travel authorization is required to be presented at a port of entry. Still, Republicans have created several bills targeting illegal immigration in the state.
A bill passed during a 2025 special session created the new Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division to act as a liaison with the Trump administration on immigration. The bill also established a grant program for law enforcement agencies that participate in a federal immigration program that allows them to perform some immigration duties.
Lawmakers are reviving a bill that would allow schools to verify students’ immigration status. Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, sponsored legislation last year that would allow schools to do so and decide whether to charge out-of-state tuition to people illegally in the country. It failed to make it out of the House.
Democrats have introduced their own bills.
House Bill 1482, sponsored by Memphis Democrat Gabby Salinas, would bar U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from churches and schools. A bill from Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, and Sara Kyle, D-Memphis, would bar Tennessee from spending state dollars on ICE activities.
