WSMV Channel 4 TN lawmakers moving forward with AZ-style immigration plan

TN lawmakers moving forward with AZ-style immigration plan

Tennessee lawmakers are pushing forward with an immigration plan modeled after Arizona's immigration reform law.

But some say they don't know if the state can handle the cost.

Lawmakers have already passed a law requiring businesses to use E-verify to check the immigration status of employees.

Next, they want to pass a bill requiring state agencies to check documentation before giving out taxpayer benefits and to allow law enforcement to check the immigration status of anyone they stop or detain.

Lawmakers believe they can fund one of the two new initiatives.

"I can't tell you the details, because I'm still working on it, but we think we've got a way that we can generate some funding that would be anywhere from $4.5 to $6 million. And what we do with it, and how we allocate it, is based on the priorities," said State Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas.

Many activists say the immigration laws would be bad for business, and the backlash seen in Alabama and Arizona could happen here in Tennessee.

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