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SB1952 • 2026

Immigration

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 16; Title 17 and Title 38, relative to immigration.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Rose, Scarbrough
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on penalties for non-compliance by courts or enforcement mechanisms beyond judicial misconduct proceedings.

Amending Tennessee Laws on Immigration

This bill requires Tennessee courts to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and allows judges who obstruct these efforts to face misconduct proceedings.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires each court in Tennessee to work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal immigration agencies when enforcing federal laws.
  • Authorizes judges who interfere with or obstruct lawful operations by federal immigration authorities to be referred to the board of judicial conduct for possible misconduct proceedings.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Courts in Tennessee
  • Federal immigration authorities

Terms To Know

Board of judicial conduct
An organization that investigates and disciplines judges who violate rules of professional conduct.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if courts do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced or what penalties might apply to non-compliant entities beyond judicial misconduct proceedings for judges.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1707

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules that require Tennessee courts to help federal immigration authorities and allows judges who interfere with these efforts to be disciplined or removed.

  • Courts in Tennessee must work with U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal immigration agencies when they enforce immigration laws.
  • Judges can face disciplinary action from the board of judicial conduct if they get in the way of federal immigration enforcement.
  • The exact process for referring judges to the board of judicial conduct is not detailed, so it's unclear how this would work in practice.
Amendment 2-0 to HB1707

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules for Tennessee courts to cooperate with federal immigration authorities while setting limits on what judges must do and protecting judicial independence.

  • Courts in Tennessee are required to work with U.S. Department of Homeland Security and federal immigration officials when enforcing federal immigration laws.
  • Judges who interfere with lawful operations by these agencies can face disciplinary action, including removal from office if found guilty of misconduct.
  • The amendment specifies that judges do not have to deviate from existing court rules or constitutional requirements, delay proceedings for immigration enforcement, or disclose individuals' immigration status.
  • The exact details on how this will be implemented and enforced are not fully explained in the provided text.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1952

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that allows judges who obstruct federal immigration enforcement to be referred to the board of judicial conduct and potentially removed from office.

  • Adds a new section in Title 16, Chapter 1 of Tennessee Code Annotated which states that if a judge interferes with or hinders the lawful operations of U.S. Department of Homeland Security or federal immigration authorities while enforcing federal immigration law, they can be reported to the board of judicial conduct.
  • The amendment also specifies that any findings by the board of judicial conduct that a judge committed misconduct in this context could lead to their removal from office according to Tennessee's Constitution.
  • The exact criteria for what constitutes 'obstructing lawful operations' is not defined, leaving some ambiguity about when judges might be referred to the board of judicial conduct.
  • It is unclear how this amendment would interact with existing federal laws and regulations regarding immigration enforcement.
Amendment 2-0 to SB1952

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that allows judges who interfere with federal immigration enforcement to be referred to the board of judicial conduct and potentially removed from office.

  • Adds a new section in Title 16, Chapter 1 of the Tennessee Code Annotated which states that if a judge obstructs lawful operations by U.S. Department of Homeland Security or federal immigration authorities, they can be referred to the board of judicial conduct for possible removal from office.
  • Specifies that findings of misconduct against a judge by the board of judicial conduct may lead to their removal based on Tennessee's Constitution.
  • The exact criteria and process for determining if a judge has obstructed federal immigration enforcement are not detailed in this amendment.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0

  2. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  3. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  5. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 71, Nays 24, PNV 0

  7. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0758)

  8. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2026

  9. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  10. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recalled from Senate State & Local Gov't Committee

  11. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  12. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/31/2026

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  15. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  17. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  18. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2026

  19. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  21. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  22. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  23. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  24. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  25. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  26. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  27. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  28. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to 3/11/2026

  29. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  30. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  31. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  33. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  35. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  37. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 2, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1707, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1
rewrites the bill to, instead, require each court to cooperate with the United States department of homeland security ("department") and federal immigration authorities acting in the enforcement of federal immigration law. This amendment authorizes a jud
ge who obstructs lawful operations by the department or such authorities to be referred to the board of judicial conduct for proceedings and any findings by the board that the judge committed judicial misconduct may be cause for removal.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1707
By Scarbrough

SENATE BILL 1952
By Rose
SB1952
011350
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 7; Title 8; Title 16; Title 17 and Title 38,
relative to immigration.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-68-104(d), is amended by deleting
the language "less than ninety (90) days nor".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.