TNJFON staff, board, and volunteers meet with five legislative offices on their day on the hill, including Senator Jeff Yarbro (left) and Representative Aftyn Behn (right).

On February 28, a TNJFON advocacy team including staff, board members, and volunteers met with five state legislators representing Davidson County to introduce them to our work and highlight ways they can support Tennessee’s immigrant communities. Several anti-immigrant bills are moving through the state legislature, and we’re sick of hearing their sponsors use racist disinformation as a pretext for dangerous policies that hurt our communities. In our meetings, we provided legislators with tools to push back against that disinformation and advocate for immigration justice in Tennessee. 

In our meetings and written materials, we highlighted three bills in particular: 

1. HB 2124 / SB 2576: would require local governments to deputize their law enforcement officers to act as federal immigration enforcement, increasing the risk of deportation and family separation as well as dissuading immigrant survivors of crime from reporting to the police. This bill has already passed the House, so we NEED to stop it in the Senate. It’s likely headed for a floor vote, so everyone should reach out to their senator and urge them to vote NO!

2. HB 1730 / SB 1717: would offer the written portion of the driver license test in English only, rolling back existing language access when we should be expanding it instead. This bill is in subcommittee in both chambers, and we’re hoping to stop it before it goes any further. When you look up your legislators, reach out if they’re on the House Transportation Subcommittee or the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee and urge them to vote NO!

   3. HB 2078 / SB 2802: would criminalize anyone who transports an undocumented immigrant into the state, including bus drivers, ambulance drivers, rideshare drivers, and anyone giving a ride to an undocumented friend, neighbor or family member. This bill is in subcommittee in both chambers, and we’re hoping to stop it before it goes any further. When you look up your legislators, reach out if they’re on the House Criminal Justice Committee or the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge them to vote NO!

We are grateful to Senators Charlane Oliver and Jeff Yarbro and Representatives Aftyn Behn, John Ray Clemmons, and Jason Powell for committing to opposing each of these bills and countering immigration disinformation.