US EditionNashville Council Members Sue over Immigration Law Criminalizing Sanctuary City Votes
- Seven Metro Nashville Council members sued Tennessee lawmakers over a new state law criminalizing votes for sanctuary city policies in February 2025.
- The law, signed by Gov. Bill Lee and passed largely on party lines, creates a Class E felony punishable by up to six years in prison and fines for officials voting for sanctuary policies.
- The lawsuit contends that the statute infringes on First Amendment freedoms by criminalizing the legislative actions of elected officials and establishes a troubling standard for political retaliation against those duly elected to office.
- Metro Council member Clay Capp expressed concern that, unprecedentedly, a state is seeking to make it a crime for local officials who vote contrary to the state’s preferences, raising important free speech issues.
- If upheld, the law could deter local officials from representing their constituents on immigration and potentially other issues, signaling increased state control over local governance.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Lawsuit challenges state law that criminalizes elected officials who vote for sanctuary city policies
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has filed a lawsuit on behalf of seven Metro Council members challenging a new state law that makes it a felony for elected officials to vote in favor of sanctuary city policies. The complaint argues that the bill, which passed during the special legislative session in January, violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and the Speech and Debate Clause, which gives legis…
Colorado Springs Gazette
Colorado PoliticsDHS rebukes ‘racial profiling’ allegations following lawsuit
The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday denied allegations of “racial profiling” over its policy to enlist local law enforcement to help with immigration enforcement. “Allegations that 287(g) agreements with local law enforcement encourage ‘racial profiling’ are disgusting and categorically…
Nashville council members sue state over law criminalizing a vote for sanctuary policies | Chattanooga Times Free Press
Seven Metro Nashville Council members are suing over a state law that imposes felony charges -- including terms of up to six years in prison -- on local elected officials who vote in favor of immigration policies deemed to be "sanctuary policies."
News Facts Network - ACLU Sues Tennessee Over Law Criminalizing Votes for Sanctuary Policies
The ACLU of Tennessee has filed a lawsuit against a new Tennessee law that makes it a felony for elected officials to vote for sanctuary policies protecting undocumented immigrants. Filed in Davidson County Chancery Court, the suit argues the law violates the First Amendment rights of local leaders. The statute imposes a Class E felony—punishable…
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