Proposed immigration reform in Tennessee

[Guest billwilly73]

I saw this the other day and thought I'd see what ya'll think.

Law enforcement on proposed immigration reform in Tennessee

Law enforcement on proposed immigration reform in Tennessee

Posted: May 14, 2010 4:23 PM CDT

Law enforcement on proposed immigration reform in Tennessee

2:19

By DENAE D'ARCY

6 News Anchor/Reporter

MORRISTOWN (WATE) - Tennessee lawmakers are taking aim at illegal immigration. They're debating a new bill reminiscent of the Arizona law that's making headlines across the nation.

If made into law, the bill would require officers to notify federal immigration officials if someone they arrest can't prove he or she is a legal U.S. resident.

Currently in Tennessee when an illegal immigrant is arrested on a felony charge, Hamblen County deputies report that person to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

How does Senate Bill 1141 differ from the law Tennessee already has in place?

All suspects arrested will be asked to prove citizenship. If they can't, officers will report them to the federal government, even for misdemeanor crimes.

This means people may need to keep Social Security cards or passports with them at all times in order to prove U.S. citizenship.

Some Hamblen County officials say this would be a good thing for the bottom dollar because more illegal immigrants might leave the country.

"We average feeding 27,000 meals per year. That's how many we have in jail each day and we feed them 3 times a day," says Wayne Mize, with the Hamblen County Sheriff's Department.

Local government can't send illegal immigrants home. They have to report them to the federal government and wait. That's why some state lawmakers say they're taking action.

"We have no authority to deport anyone. We have to notify ICE and if they decide to deport someone. It is their call, not ours," Mize says.

6 News talked to Morristown residents Friday about the proposed legislation. "Everybody deserves a chance at life. Just because you have a different skin color shouldn't mean anything," Stacey Cameron says.

However, Richie Paint said he believes adopting the new bill would help clean up Morristown.

Arizona's new immigration legislation allows officers to question anyone who appears to be an illegal immigrant.

The bill proposed in Tennessee would only require people who are under arrest to prove citizenship.

[Guest oldsmobile98]

I like it.

[Guest jackdm3]

Why wait till an illegal is arrested in TN? Why not take them when they are pulled over for simple moving violations?

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Works for me.

[Guest tnfireman]

I agree. I have no problem with immigrants that come here legally, I have a huge problem with the many that come here illegally.

[Smith]

I'm just amazed there is even a debate. It's real easy. Do you believe in LE or not? I personally don't see the allure of anarchy.

[Guest TargetShooter84]

I support Arizona's bill on immigration and wish TN would have a same bill for that here. I support this bill.

[Guest TnRebel]

If you can't do the time ... then DON'T do the friggen CRIME

[G27]

Does this even have time to pass before this session ends?

[Guest jackdm3]

Politicians prefer to play with voters heads with measures that sound "revolutionary," knowing that the upcoming time-out will prevent them from acting on their words.

[kb4ns]

Why wait till an illegal is arrested in TN? Why not take them when they are pulled over for simple moving violations?

Well, if they're not here legally, they go to jail anyway. We don't write them a ticket based on the information they give us and trust that's who they are and that they'll take care of the situation. It goes like this - I stop an illegal alien. I ask for a DL and he says "I no have one" or "I no speak engless". I have him give me his name, d.o.b., etc. I return to my trusty computer in my car and put the info in that he gave me. If I can't find positive identification on him, he goes to jail. Once in jail, he can have someone bring a valid (read: US issued) form of identification, he can post a bond, or he can wait to see a judge.

Anytime an illegal immigrant is arrested, the jail contacts ICE who usually refuses to come pick up the individual. ICE's stance on the issue changes quite often. Occasionally, they'll come pick up someone who was arrested for a simple traffic violation, but 95% of the time, they won't come get them unless they were picked up on a felony. It's also important to note that they won't deport anyone until all charges are taken care of. ICE will put a hold on the individual and (usually) when the judge sees the ICE hold, they'll dismiss the charges (or sentence them to time served) so that ICE can come and get them for deportation.

[kb4ns]

This means people may need to keep Social Security cards or passports with them at all times in order to prove U.S. citizenship.

Not so much. It again comes down to whether we can find valid id on you in the computer. If I stop someone who has a valid license or ID card, but they don't have it on their person, all I have to do is put their name & DOB (or SSN) in the computer and all their info and their DL picture pops right up. Now if you're in the country legally, but don't have any form of ID issued by any US state, you might have to worry, but realistically - is there anyone out there like that??

[Guest Ae-35]

Until they get the border under control, ALL this is a joke!!! When we can control who, and what, enters and who, and what leaves. All this is time, effort, and money wasted!!!!

[Guest PapaB]

Anytime an illegal immigrant is arrested, the jail contacts ICE who usually refuses to come pick up the individual.

This may be true where you work but not statewide. It's currently a recommendation, not a requirement.

[tnhawk]

If someone isn't a legal resident, then it's simple - illegal = criminal

[Ebow1]

It's a step in the right direction, and should prove to be less controversial than AZ's law, even if all the controversy around it is completely idiotic.

[Guest PapaB]

I think it's ironic that if someone enters your home illegally, you have the right to make them leave or to defend yourself and your family with the option of using deadly force if needed. If they enter your Country, State, City or Town illegally, you have no right to remove them at all.

The idiots that argue racial profiling don't want to acknowlege the large number of illegals that enter through Mexico from other countries in Central and South America as well as Europe and Asia.

I'd like to see a Constitutional Amendment requiring both parents be here legally, with at least 1 of them being a citizen, before their children can be considered a citizen. When someone enters illegally they should never have the right to citizenship.

BTW, my mother and my fathers mother were both legal immigrants to this country so I'm not anti-immigration, just anti-illegal.

[Guest ls2tiger]

IMO All the laws in the land are useless unless I.C.E. deports them. At this time I.C.E. is overwhelmed and in some places complacent. What we need are laws that work around I.C.E.,laws that go to the root of the problem. Start handing out $25000.00 fines for every illegal that is hired and the jobs for them will go away along with the illegals.

[Chief07]

What part of "Illegal" doesen't the Governmant understand?

DUH!

I was told you can't call Illegal immigrents illegal any more.

They must now be called "unregistered Democrats"!

I only hope Tennessee puts some teeth in the law.

[Il Duce]

we need landmines across the whole border

[Worriedman]

If you watched every Democrat in the Joint Session of the US Legislature today, stand and applaud the Mexican President as he spoke against the new AZ Law, (which by the way is far less heinous against probably cause than Federal Law) that should explain why nothing will get done about illegal immigration as long as that bunch of thieves and brigands is in power.

I was so very embarrassed by that display of disrespect for our Nation.

[Smith]

If someone isn't a legal resident, then it's simple - illegal = criminal

I found it funny that Obama's statements after his meeting with El Presidente went something to the effect, "no decent law abiding illegal alien......" I quit listening right there. How can you be a decent law abiding illegal immigrant?

[greenego]

Maybe if enough states pass these laws Obama, Holder or Napolitano will get around to reading one of them.

[ftncityfatboy]

rather than have to carry our DL or SS card around, we should invent this microchip that has all that info stored on it and have it implanted under our skin somewhere, like the back of our hand, then the poe-poe could carry these scanner machines and when ask to prove citizenship they would scan the back of our hands and our info would print out on a computer screen!! Sometimes my intellegence is more than I can handle..

[Mike.357]

I think we should enact laws the same as Mexico's to deal with it all.

This crap is going to reach out and bite those who have turned their back on this country. Wait and see.