TLRC position
Support
2026 · Immigration
Create Class A misdemeanors for knowingly remaining in Tennessee after a final removal order and for reentering after deportation.
HB 1704 / SB 1779
Bill description
Make it a Class A misdemeanor for noncitizens under final removal orders to refuse to leave or to reenter Tennessee.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 7; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 41, relative to immigration.
Bill sponsors
House co-sponsors · 62
Cameron Sexton R, Jason Zachary R, Pat Marsh R, Johnny Garrett R, Mark Cochran R, Gino Bulso R, Justin Lafferty R, Mark White R, Dan Howell R, Gary Hicks R, Chris Todd R, Kevin Vaughan R, Andrew Farmer R, Debra Moody R, Dennis Powers R, Sabi Kumar R, Rusty Grills R, David Hawk R, Scott Cepicky R, Michael Hale R, Michelle Carringer R, Lee Reeves R, Tom Leatherwood R, Monty Fritts R, Clay Doggett R, Tandy Darby R, Jake McCalmon R, Greg Martin R, Jerome Moon R, Rebecca Alexander R, Clark Boyd R, Aron Maberry R, Paul Sherrell R, Renea Jones R, William Slater R, Tim Hicks R, John Crawford R, Dave Wright R, Michael Lankford R, Rick Scarbrough R, Rick Eldridge R, Iris Rudder R, Esther Helton-Haynes R, Brock Martin R, Rush Bricken R, Ed Butler R, Fred Atchley R, Mary Littleton R, Timothy Hill R, Todd Warner R, Tom Stinnett R, Kelly Keisling R, Kevin Raper R, Robert Stevens R, Elaine Davis R, Kip Capley R, Ron Gant R, Kirk Haston R, Tim Rudd R, Bryan Terry R, Michele Reneau R, Jay Reedy R
Senate co-sponsors · 9
Janice Bowling R, Joey Hensley R, Ed Jackson R, Adam Lowe R, Paul Rose R, Jessie Seal R, John Stevens R, Brent Taylor R, Dawn White R
TLRC statement
HB1704 would make two new Class A misdemeanors under Tennessee law: (1) intentionally failing or refusing to depart the state within 90 days when a person is subject to a valid final federal order of removal, and (2) intentionally entering, attempting to enter, or being found in Tennessee after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed from the United States. The bill authorizes a court to stay state criminal proceedings where the defendant has not exhausted available federal avenues to challenge a removal order, and it includes unspecified exemptions. Critically, the statute is written to take effect only after either the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Arizona v. United States (2012) or Congress passes a statute removing federal preemption over state determinations of unlawful presence.
From a conservative, originalist perspective, HB1704 aims to reinforce the rule of law and give the state tools to address unlawful presence when federal preemption no longer blocks state action. The bill is cautious about federal conflict (it delays effectiveness until preemption is resolved) and preserves a role for federal review by allowing stays while federal remedies remain. Those are positives. However, the bill also expands state criminal law into an area long governed by federal immigration statutes; absent clear, narrow exemptions (for inability to depart, pending asylum claims, or lack of travel documents) and strong due-process safeguards, it risks criminalizing vulnerable people and undermining community policing by encouraging local enforcement of immigration status.