A Tennessee charity that knowingly helps an unauthorized immigrant with long-term housing can be held civilly liable for a crime that person commits under a measure signed into law late last week by Gov. Bill Lee.
Backers say the law will incentivize charities to more carefully vet who receives services while providing law-abiding citizens further recourse if they are harmed by someone in the U.S. illegally.
“This is a public safety bill, keeping with the Trump administration’s renewed focus on illegal immigration,” state Rep. Rusty Grills, R-Newbern, the legislation’s sponsor, told his colleagues before House Bill 811 passed in April. “What we’re doing with this bill is: Anyone who is a victim of a crime committed by an illegal alien would have a private right of action against any NGO (nongovernmental organization) that has assisted the illegal alien with housing in the community.”
Critics say the law puts churches and other charities at risk and prevents vulnerable people from getting needed housing help, while offering no substantive public benefit. Democrats opposed the measure. Not all Republicans were on board, either.
“I abstained in the committee and on the floor vote because churches should be protected,” state Sen. Todd Gardehnire, R-Chattanooga, said in a text message this week. “I don’t want to be held accountable to my God for punishing one of his houses for political reasons.”