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HB 833

Immigration - As enacted, requires the centralized immigration enforcement division within the department of safety to provide a report to the chief clerk of each house of the general assembly and the legislative librarian regarding illegal alien criminal activity in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 38 and Title 68.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Kelly Keisling

Tennessee requires its immigration enforcement division to report undocumented immigrant criminal activity to the state legislature, establishing formal data collection on immigration-related crime.

Comp. became Pub. Ch. 323
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Bill Summary · HB 833

Legislative bill overview

HB 833 establishes a requirement for Tennessee's centralized immigration enforcement division (within the Department of Safety) to compile and submit regular reports to the state legislature detailing criminal activity involving undocumented immigrants. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee law across various titles to implement this reporting mechanism.

Why is this important

This bill creates a formal data collection and transparency requirement around immigration enforcement outcomes, which affects public discourse on immigration policy effectiveness. The reporting could influence legislative decisions on immigration enforcement funding, priorities, and related policies, while also shaping public perception of immigration-related crime.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition and scope ambiguity: The bill doesn't clearly specify what constitutes "illegal alien criminal activity"—whether it includes all crimes committed by undocumented immigrants or only immigration-specific offenses, and how data will be collected and verified
  • Data interpretation concerns: Without context about denominator data (total undocumented population) and comparison rates with citizen crime, raw numbers could mislead about relative crime rates and fuel selective narratives
  • Resource and privacy implications: Creating a centralized reporting system requires resources and raises questions about how personal information is handled, whether it enables targeting of specific communities, and if it duplicates existing federal reporting (like ICE statistics)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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