A proposed Tennessee bill could hold charities, churches, and homeless shelters legally responsible if an undocumented migrant they house commits a crime.
Tennessee lawmakers have introduced House Bill 811, co-sponsored by Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor and state Rep. Rusty Grills, as part of efforts to deter organizations from knowingly housing undocumented immigrants, Fox 17 reported.
The bill would allow victims of crimes committed by migrants to sue charities or shelters that provided them with housing, making these organizations financially and legally accountable for any harm caused.
Meanwhile, faith leaders and charity representatives are speaking out against it. Rev. Enoch Fuzz of the Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville argued that individuals should be held responsible for their own actions, not the organizations that help them.
"You can't hold anybody liable for the actions of somebody except for the person themselves," Fuzz told the outlet.
Similarly, Sam Siple of the Nashville Rescue Mission warned that punishing charities could limit their ability to provide essential services to those in need, regardless of immigration status.
"Our intent here is not to be a sanctuary city, but we are a sanctuary for folks who are looking to get off the dangers of the streets and get some help, get some hope, get some food, get some shelter. So our goal is again to help and provide Human Services. It's not to enforce immigration," Siple told Fox 17.
Grills has defended the bill, stating that its intent is to prevent crime rather than criminalize humanitarian work.
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