New exemption filed to not require SROs to report on immigration status in TN
The law requires officers to report any illegal immigrants they come across to ICE and help turn them in.
Published: Jan. 2, 2025 at 2:30 PM CST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - During the 2024 legislative session, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that requires law enforcement agencies to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they discover people are in the country illegally.
The law requires officers to report any illegal immigrants they come across to ICE and help turn them in. The new law took effect July 1, 2024.
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Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) filed an amendment to Senate Bill 0017 in mid-December to add the following exemptions to the law, including school resource officers.
- A school resource officer with regard to the immigration status of a student of the local education agency to which the school resource officer has been assigned; and
- An individual who has not been arrested by the law enforcement agency or official, including an individual whose contact with a law enforcement agency is due to the individual’s status as a victim of or witness to a criminal offense.
If passed, the exemptions would be added on July 1, 2025.
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