A Tennessee senator wants to make changes to the state’s immigration law.
Law enforcement agencies in Tennessee are required to notify federal immigration officials if they come across unauthorized immigrants, according to a bill signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee that went into effect July 1. The law also states that law enforcement must cooperate in the “identification, apprehension, detention or removal” of such individuals.
(READ MORE: Bill would mandate Tennessee officers to report immigration status of people in custody)
State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, was the only Republican to vote against the bill and has filed a bill to amend the law, in anticipation of the upcoming legislative session. State Rep. Sabi “Doc” Kumar, R-Springfield, will sponsor the bill in the state house, the representative confirmed via text message Friday. Gardenhire wants officers assigned to schools to be exempt from having to report any unauthorized students.
“When I ran in 2012, I ran on a platform of when I go to Nashville, I’m going to look at every law that I can and look at the unintended consequences of what that law says,” Gardenhire said by phone. “In this case, it has a lot of unintended consequences, the way it’s written.”