RELEASE: TIRRC VOTES CONDEMNS PASSAGE OF FOUR MORE ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILLS OUT OF THE TENNESSEE STATE HOUSE

TIRRC VOTES CONDEMNS PASSAGE OF FOUR MORE ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILLS OUT OF THE TENNESSEE STATE HOUSE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 21, 2026

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media@tirrcvotes.org

TIRRC VOTES CONDEMNS PASSAGE OF FOUR MORE ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILLS OUT OF THE TENNESSEE STATE HOUSE

NASHVILLE— The Tennessee House Floor has passed 4 anti-immigrant bills in the past 24 hours, including HB2219/SB2223, HB1710/SB1915, HB1708/SB11189, HB1817/SB1748.The impacts of these bills include requiring every local law enforcement agency across the state to sign a 287g agreement to collaborate with ICE, restricting drivers licenses to those who speak English, barring vehicle registration based on immigration or citizenship status, and requiring local governments and agencies to verify and report on the immigration status of everyone who is applying for a public benefit.

Lisa Sherman Luna, Executive Director of TIRRC Votes released the following statement condemning the passage of these anti-immigrant bills:

“Regardless of where we were born, where we live in the state or how much money we have, all of us who call Tennessee home deserve to live in safe communities where we can build a good life for our families. Yet instead of being focused on policies that would make this a reality for our communities, the Republican Supermajority Legislature has decided to enact a whole slate of anti-immigrant legislation. They think that they can point the finger at our immigrant neighbors but we know that it’s those in power, like themselves and their billionaire friends, who leverage all the power and are getting richer while the rest of us struggle to put food on the table and pay the bills.

“So, let me be perfectly clear: a state that is hostile to immigrants will become a state with a failing economy, with families separated, neighbors living in fear, and businesses, restaurants and previously thriving neighborhoods closing and shuttering.

Sherman- Luna ended saying, “These legislators may want to create their own white nationalist state, but we know better and know that all of our communities thrive when we prioritize policy that makes us a more welcoming and vibrant place to live. We will continue to use our voices, grow in support, and put new leaders in place who will actually represent our values to make Tennessee a state where all of us regardless of our race and background can not only survive, but thrive.”

Rev Keri Cress, a Nashville area Methodist Pastor stated, “As a Christian pastor I believe that all of our communities are stronger when we welcome and care for immigrants and refugees. This is a core tenet of not just the Christian faith, but nearly all world religions. This anti-immigrant agenda of hate and exclusion is not only in direct opposition to the call of Jesus throughout Scripture, but is a cruel agenda that leads to separated families, children left without parents, and grieving loved ones. Tennessee’s Supermajority Legislature should be focused on ensuring that our public schools are fully funded and that all of us can access the resources we need to build a good life for our families, and instead they are focused on harmful policies that make all of us less safe. I’m calling on all faith leaders across Tennessee to raise their voices to speak out against these terrible policies not only in public but inside the walls of their places of worship and leadership, so that Tennessee can actually become a state of belonging and thriving that God has called us to.”

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TIRRC Votes was launched in 2018 to strengthen and expand our democracy by building power in immigrant and refugee communities and advocating for equitable and inclusive public policy. One of the leading organizations in Tennessee capable of building a new electorate and mobilizing the state's progressive base voters, they are a model for effective, immigrant-led political organizations in the Southeast. Outside of elections, TIRRC Votes is leading the way at the local and state level in policy advocacy, defeating dozens of anti-immigrant and anti-refugee bills each year at the state legislature and casting a new narrative about who gets to be a Tennessean. TIRRC Votes is affiliated with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC).