State immigration enforcement bill passes Senate

By Andy Sher, Nashville Bureau, Timesfreepress.com
April 4, 2006

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Senate passed a bill Monday night that would require Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers to undergo training and enforce federal immigration laws despite concerns raised by some Democrats, immigrant groups and Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Twenty-three senators including five Democrats voted for the measure. Five Democrats, including Sen. Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga, voted present, not taking sides on the issue. Three other Democrats who were present did not vote.

The bill remains in House committee.

Republicans argued the bill is necessary in light of terrorism concerns as well as a wave of unchecked illegal immigration that has swept through Tennessee and other states. Similar debates are raging in Congress and other states.

"The Department of Safety could have done this any time in the past three years... and chose not to," said the bill’s primary sponsor, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Mark Norris, R-Collierville. He said Safety officials have offered a variety of excuses. He said officials appear to place a higher priority on having troopers present at "rather frivolous endeavors" such as "going to fish fries" and "watching people’s children."

Sen. Norris said he envisioned training 30 troopers.

Sen. Doug Jackson, D-Dickson, said having Tennessee troopers enforce federal immigration laws would add to jail overcrowding and create new costs for state and local governments.

Tennessee’s jails are full of illegal immigrants, and the federal government won’t get them, Sen. Jackson said.

About 20 bills have been filed that would crack down on illegal immigration in some way.
Gov. Bredesen last week the state of Tennessee should not be responsible for enforcing U.S. immigration laws.

Stephen Fotopulos of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition said having state troopers enforce federal immigration laws represents a "very disturbing trend."

"There’s no way to do it without racial profiling," Mr. Fotopulos said.

Alabama Assistant Attorney General J. Haran Lowe said last week that there have been no problems with profiling in Alabama. Alabama is among the states that have begun training and enforcing federal immigration laws under a memorandum of understanding program with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Since 2003, 43 Alabama troopers have been trained, he said. Alabama troopers have made 163 arrests, he said. "Not one (profiling complaint) has been filed," Mr. Lowe said.

Most troopers work in driver’s license centers where their expertise has helped in uncovering identity theft rings as well as illegal immigrants, he said.