Senate committee adopts amendment to require honoring ICE detainers up to 48 hours; witness warns of local fiscal, safety impacts

Senator Taylor moved an amendment to SB 14-86 that would require law-enforcement agencies with a 287(g) agreement to honor ICE detainers for up to 48 hours or until federal agents take custody. The sponsor described the change as ensuring jurisdictions "honor the detainer that is requested for the full 48 hours or until such time as ICE comes and actually picks up the defendant."

Amanda Hernandez testified in respectful opposition, saying she had reviewed 287(g) MOUs for Tennessee and that many of the policy details around training and fiscal responsibility are already handled in MOUs. Hernandez warned the bill could impose new training and overtime costs on already understaffed county sheriff's offices and flagged federal-fiscal conflicts, saying the fiscal analyst had noted the bill may be largely unnecessary. Committee members asked who would bear the cost of additional detention time; the sponsor and others said local jails would generally incur the costs. The amendment passed by voice and the committee later recorded a roll vote on the amendment and advanced the bill to finance (7 ayes, 2 noes).