Lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly successfully passed all but one of the bills introduced in January as part of the effort to make the Volunteer State a "national model" for immigration enforcement, as well as other immigration legislation that was either carried over from last year or introduced later in 2026.
Newly passed legislation includes bills to will empower law enforcement, beginning with HB 1704, which makes it a misdemeanor under Tennessee law for an illegal alien to remain in the state, or reenter the United States, while subject to a final deportation order.
https://tennesseestar.com/policy/tennessee-lawmakers-pass-7-immigration-bills-introduced-to-make-volunteer-a-model-for-state-enforcement-federal-cooperation/tpappert/2026/04/30/
