Legislation submitted to the Tennessee General Assembly on Friday by State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) could lead to nonprofits being sued if they knowingly provide housing to illegal immigrants who commit crimes while in the State of Tennessee.
According to a summary of the legislation, Taylor’s Senate Bill (SB) 227 would reform Tennessee’s tort law to allow charities or nonprofits who knowingly provide housing to illegal immigrants to be sued in civil court if any illegal immigrants they house commit a crime leading to a financial loss, damages, or physical injury or death.
The text of the bill specifically states, “a charitable organization that provides housing to a person who the charitable organization knows is unlawfully present in the United States may be held liable for a loss, damages, injury, or death resulting from a criminal offense committed by the person who is unlawfully present in the United States while the person is receiving housing services from the charitable organization if the charitable organization’s conduct in providing housing constitutes negligence, gross negligence, or willful and wanton misconduct.”
It would become law immediately upon being passed and signed by the governor.
Taylor’s bill was submitted to the General Assembly after Governor Bill Lee called a special legislative session for lawmakers to consider his school choice plan, the Education Freedom Act, plus Hurricane Helene relief for East Tennessee, and “public safety measures related to illegal immigration,” to assist the incoming Trump administration’s immigration agenda.
While Lee did not outline specific immigration measures for lawmakers to consider, legislators have submitted at least five bills related to immigration ahead of the upcoming legislative session.
These include bills that would fine Tennessee law enforcement agencies for failing to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after arresting an illegal immigrant, require law enforcement agencies to release illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities if ICE does not accept custody, and a requirement for financial institutions to determine the citizenship status of those sending remittance payments to other countries.
Bills have also been submitted that would require state agencies create a portal for election officials to determine if voter applicants are U.S. citizens with the legal right to vote, and to make driver’s licenses and other forms of identification issued to citizens visually distinct from those offered to non-citizens.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
