Tennessee House advances bill requiring local officers to aid US immigration authorities

By JONATHAN MATTISE
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Republican-led Tennessee House has advanced a proposal that would require law enforcement agencies in the state to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they discover people are in the the country illegally. The legislation passed by the House on Thursday also would broadly mandate cooperation in the process of identifying, catching, detaining and deporting those immigrants. The vote coincides with efforts in other Republican-led states to inject more state and local involvement in immigration enforcement, while criticizing President Joe Biden’s border policies. The Tennessee bill next heads to the Senate for floor debate.