Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

A Law Preventing the Housing of Undocumented Immigrants in Tennessee

Publication Date

2023

College

Health Sciences & Nursing, Gordon E. Inman College of

Department

Social Work, Department of

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Abstract

Abstract

In the state of Tennessee there are currently 128,000 undocumented immigrants (Migration Policy, 2023) projected to be living all across the state. Those who are in the country without documentation already have a limited number of rights and experience barriers in finding access to services provided to citizens. In the 2023 Tennessee General Assembly, House Member Dennis Powers is sponsoring House Bill 1247 and Senator Frank Niceley is sponsoring Senate Bill 1151. The bills that are being proposed would “prohibit an illegal alien from being housed on real property owned by this state or a political subdivision of this state…” (Tennessee General Assembly, 2023), excluding those being housed due to criminal convictions. The wording of these bills are extremely vague when referencing property that is owned by political subdivisions of the state, and this wording could imply that more restrictions could occur on county and more local levels. These bills directly target the undocumented population within the state of Tennessee, and changes that come out of these proposed bills directly impact housing and other services available to this community. These bills conflict with the values and ethics outlined by the National Association of Social workers; so therefore, social workers should oppose this bill in order to uphold the dignity and worth of all people (National Association of Social Workers, 2023). This paper will explore what this bill aims to accomplish and suggestions for how the bill could better align with Social Work values.

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