Senate committee approves bill to expand state immigration enforcement, creates grant program and new enforcement division

Senate Bill 6002, which its sponsor described as aligning state policy with federal immigration enforcement and expanding local-state cooperation, was advanced by the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee after debate and three failed amendments.

The bill would create a centralized immigration enforcement division in the Department of Safety overseen by a governor-appointed chief immigration enforcement officer, establish a $5 million grant program to help local governments participate in the federal 287(g) program, add new restrictions on eligibility for state-issued identification and add enforcement mechanisms for local officials who adopt or enforce so-called sanctuary policies.

Sponsor Senator Watson summarized the measure at length, saying the bill “creates a centralized immigration enforcement division within the Department of Safety to coordinate our immigration enforcement efforts” and describes four main components: the new division, a grant program for participation in the federal 287(g) program, criminal penalties tied to sanctuary policies, and changes to driver’s-license issuance and renewal. Watson also said the bill includes sunset provisions for the new division and the grant program.

Committee members pressed for details about the…