Federal Court Upholds State Law Criminalizing Illegal Immigration.
A new Tennessee law making illegal immigration a state crime is taking effect, following a federal judge’s dismissal of a lawsuit by pro-illegal immigrant organizations.
PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Tennessee can enact a law making it a state crime for illegal immigrants to remain in the state after receiving a final deportation order or to re-enter after a previous deportation, with penalties including up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The law’s enactment follows a judge’s dismissal of a pro-illegal immigrant lawsuit challenging its provisions.
📺 DETAIL: U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson, a Trump nominee, ruled that the ACLU and National Immigration Law Center lacked standing to challenge the law, describing their lawsuit as “more attorney-driven rather than client-driven.” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) signed the legislation in April as part of the GOP’s “Immigration 2026” agenda, aligning the state with others like Texas, Iowa, and Mississippi that have enacted similar measures to penalize illegal immigrants.
📈 DATA: Tennessee’s 2025 Immigration Report revealed that illegal immigrants were responsible for 2,183 violent offenses, including 41 homicides, 145 sexual offenses, and 11 child rapes, underscoring the genuine threat posed by illegals left at large among the public.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Forty-one Tennesseans are dead at the hands of illegal immigrants and hundreds raped. This will not be tolerated in this great state and we will do more to keep you safe.” – Republican State Rep. Dan Howell (R)
🎯 IMPACT: The law reflects a growing trend among states to address illegal immigration at the state level, with many of the measures set in motion under the Biden government, which took an extremely lax approach towards federal border control.
https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/07/01/federal-court-upholds-state-law-criminalizing-illegal-immigration/
