As Governor, I will never allow sanctuary cities – not in Memphis, not in Nashville, not in Knoxville – not anywhere.
He will not allow sanctuary cities in Tennessee.
Occurrences
Evidence
The bill would create a state immigration enforcement division, require local collaboration with federal immigration agencies, and make a vote to adopt a sanctuary policy a Class E felony.
A Nashville chancellor signed an agreed order holding the felony provision unconstitutional, after Tennessee's attorney general declined to defend it.
Assessments
Tennessee did have sanctuary-city prohibitions in place, and the state added stronger anti-sanctuary enforcement in January 2025 through SB6002. But John W. Rose was serving as a U.S. representative, not as Tennessee governor or a state legislator, and the cited law was sponsored and enacted by other Tennessee officials rather than materially delivered by him. That makes this only partial credit under the federal-office candidate-credit rule. The later February 26, 2026 court ruling striking the felony-vote provision also undercut the strongest new enforcement piece.