Tennessee House Advances Bill to Make it ‘Illegal to be Illegal’ in Tennessee
Tennessee Today

A key public safety measure that would give Tennessee increased authority to uphold immigration law passed the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday.

Sponsored by Representative William Lamberth (R-Portland), House Bill 1704 criminalizes intentionally ignoring a final federal removal order. Under this legislation, refusing deportation would be classified as a Class A misdemeanor, carrying a penalty of up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and/or a fine of $2500. 

This forward-looking bill also includes trigger language that would expand its reach to unlawful reentry into the state after deportation, which would go into effect if Arizona v. United States is overturned by the Supreme Court.

Lamberth described his popular bill, which has garnered the support of 55 co-sponsors, as “common-sense legislation respects constitutional boundaries while ensuring we are prepared if states’ authority is restored.”

The progress of this legislation marks a key step forward in a broader immigration package that Tennessee Republicans set forth at the beginning of the year. Their sweeping “Immigration 2026” agenda aims to improve Tennessee’s ability to coordinate with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement, focusing on everything from requiring local law enforcement compliance with federal immigration actions to requiring verification of immigration status when applying for government benefits.

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