NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee lawmakers made national headlines Thursday when they filed eight bills targeting illegal immigration, with extensive input from the Trump administration. The legislation will soon be debated at the state Capitol and has generated strong responses from residents across the state.
Thursday, Tennessee Republicans held a news conference before the legislation was officially filed, so we got to hear their assessment of the bills but couldn't analyze them ourselves. "We as a state feel compelled to do everything we can to make sure we are cooperating with the federal government," said State Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, the Senate Majority Leader, during the news conference.
The legislation was eventually posted online late Thursday afternoon. I read every word of all the bills to understand what they would actually do if passed into law. Here's our analysis:
House Bill 1704 would make it a state-level offense if someone received a "valid final" deportation order and remained in Tennessee."Once you have a final deportation order, you are to go back to whatever country you're from," said State Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, the House Majority Leader.
This bill also hopes to directly challenge the Supreme Court decision Arizona vs. United States, that sets barriers to how extensively states can prosecute illegal immigration cases.
House Bill 1705 requires state and local governments to use the E-Verify program for every hire. Governments that don't comply could lose all their state funding, including sales tax revenues.
House Bill 1706 addresses commercial driver's licenses. While it's already illegal to be unlawfully present and operate a commercial motor vehicle, Tennessee would no longer recognize CDLs belonging to illegal immigrants from out of state. "If our law enforcement has any contact with an illegal with a CDL, ICE will be engaged," said State Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, the Deputy Speaker.
If a CDL is issued anyway, the employer or state employee could be sued for up to $1 million.
House Bill 1707 speeds up how quickly local governments must comply with court orders dealing with immigration enforcement.
House Bill 1708 establishes an "English only" driving test with one exception for those with work visas. "This would allow them to get a driver's license with a one time exception for a 12 month period. After 12 months, they'd have to go back and take it in English," Sexton said.
The bill also requires county clerks to check someone's legal status before registering a motor vehicle. "That was a loophole that allowed illegals to have cars and have registration. We’re working to close that," the House speaker added.
House Bill 1709 deals with state professional licenses across numerous industries, from practicing law as an attorney to working as an aeronautics instructor. This also includes dentists, social workers, insurance agents, nurses and other professions that would now have to have their legal status checked before submitting applications.
"If it’s a reciprocal license coming from another state, and they check legal status, then they will get it. If they have not, we will check it when they ask for the reciprocal license," explained Speaker Sexton.
House Bill 1710 requires local governments to check legal status for those receiving SNAP benefits or public housing. Local governments that don't cooperate could lose all their state funding. "At the end of the day, taxpayer money should go those who are here legally and lawfully, period," Sexton said.
House Bill 1711 requires several agencies to give quarterly reports on immigration activity and mandates that those entities report illegal immigrants they encounter to ICE.
There is a ninth bill in the immigration package, but it's not new. It's a controversial bill from 2025 that requires school districts to verify a child's legal status, and if they're considered unlawfully present, their parents would have to pay tuition.
The Senate passed their own version of the bill last session, but talks stalled in the House when uncertainty arose over whether the law could jeopardize $1 billion of Tennessee's federal education funding.
House Majority Leader Lamberth tells me that bill remains in limbo as Republicans wait for more guidance from the Trump administration on how to proceed.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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