Many who showed up at Public Square Park Wednesday consider House Bill 2315 one of the most extreme, anti-immigrant proposals in the country right now.
If signed into law, the bill would require all branches of local government, from school resource officers to the fire department to be involved in the deportation pipeline. “It’ll harm our entire community, not just immigrants. If people are afraid to call the police to report a crime, that makes us all less safe,” Stephanie Teatro with TIRRC said.
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“Buildings are going to burn because people will be afraid to call the fire department,” Councilman Fabian Bedne added.
Bedne also points out the financial burden the bill would carry. For instance, the cost to train police officers, then there's the cost of incarceration. “It cost $75 a day per person to keep somebody in jail before they see an immigration judge. That could be millions of dollars just to enact this thing, and they haven’t offered a penny to cover the cost,” said Bedne.
Everyone who participated in the march wants Governor Bill Haslam to veto the bill when it gets to his desk.
Members of the Metro School Board have also sent letters to Governor Haslam, urging him not to sign they bill saying it would lead to an unhealthy learning environment. Director Shawn Joseph and Police Chief Steve Anderson are also urging the governor to veto the bill.
The governor's office says Haslam will have a decision in the coming days.
