Tennessee’s Immigration Gambit

State lawmakers have advanced a bill that would make illegal presence a crime.

NASHVILLE—Tennessee lawmakers are considering House Bill No. 0177, a bill that would criminalize being in the state without legal immigration status. The legislation cleared a House subcommittee this week and would make unauthorized presence in Tennessee a misdemeanor, escalating to a felony upon repeat offenses.

Under the proposal, judges would be required to issue a 72-hour departure order to anyone charged or convicted under the statute.

“This bill is a measured, responsible step towards protecting Tennessee communities, enforcing the rule of law, and demagnetizing our state to illegal immigration,” said Rep. Lee Reeves, one of the bill’s sponsors.

Critics say the legislation is unconstitutional and dangerous. Judith Clerjeune, advocacy director for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, called it an “incredibly inhumane bill that puts lives and families at risk.”

“It targets people based on who they are, where they come from, and whether the federal government has chose…