No Borders NewsA coalition of immigration and civil-rights groups filed a federal class-action lawsuit challenging a new Tennessee law, HB 1704. The lawsuit argues the law is unconstitutional because it interferes with federal control over immigration enforcement.
According to the complaint described in the groups’ announcement, HB 1704 creates a new state crime for certain immigrants who have final removal orders but have not left Tennessee. The groups say this “failure-to-depart” approach is part of a broader wave of state laws aimed at criminalizing noncitizens’ presence.
The groups point out that courts have repeatedly said immigration enforcement is a federal power, not something states can take over. They argue Tennessee’s law unlawfully shifts enforcement from federal immigration authorities to state criminal courts.
The announcement describes plaintiffs who say they fear arrest, detention, and prosecution under the new law. It includes a Memphis man who has had DACA for years after an asylum denial and a removal order, and a Memphis woman who says her family, job, and medical care are in Tennessee after an asylum denial and removal order.
The groups say they are seeking to block the law from taking effect on July 1. For the most accurate details, readers should check the official filing linked in the announcement.