NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Now that President Donald Trump has been sworn into office, some Tennesseans are preparing for possible mass deportations as the General Assembly gears up for a special legislative session to, in part, address illegal immigration.
Gov. Bill Lee is standing by, prepared to use any tool necessary, including the National Guard, to help the Trump Administration, however, he said earlier this month he hasn’t been asked to do anything yet.
“What I believe is the president was elected saying what he wanted to do and the people elected him in a very strong fashion, and I am supportive of his strategies going forward, and if that includes utilizing the National Guard at the president’s request, then I’ll work together with governors across the country to do that,” Gov. Lee said Jan. 8.
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Last week, Gov. Lee called a special legislative session to address school vouchers, Hurricane Helene relief, and illegal immigration. In his official call, the governor listed measures lawmakers could consider, including creating a centralized immigration enforcement entity, establishing an immigration enforcement fund, and introducing possible penalties for government officials who adopt and enact a sanctuary policy.
The call also said lawmakers could strengthen immigration enforcement through agreements with the federal government that give state and local law enforcement and other qualified personnel the same powers as a federal immigration officer.
Some Republican lawmakers in Tennessee told reporters they don’t expect things to look much different between President Trump’s first and second terms.
“When Trump was here the first four years, we didn’t need the National Guard or anything like that, when an illegal immigrant was arrested for a crime; when they came in contact with someone in the natural course of business and it was obvious they were an illegal immigrant, ICE was notified and they were deported, so I would assume anyway that it would go back to the way it’s been,” House Majority Leader, Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) said.
Groups, including the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), are now preparing for what could come.
“A lot of what we’re doing right now is making sure people understand their rights. Under the Constitution, everybody has rights regardless of their immigration status,” Cesar Bautista with TIRRC said. “It’s very common for maybe the average person, but for somebody, if they’re undocumented, they may feel like ‘Oh, because of my status, I don’t have any rights in general,’ but we know that’s not correct, so it’s really educating people and walking them through these easy steps.”
In addition, TIRRC has been connecting families with temporary guardians should parents get deported without their children, and counselors to help them handle the stress of the unknown.
“I think the mood is a lot of anxiety of what’s yet to come from the Trump administration,” Bautista said.
The special legislative session will begin Jan. 27.
