A bill in the Tennessee legislature could start holding charitable organizations liable if they are housing an illegal migrant who commits a crime.
House Bill 811 aims to put pressure on organizations that are not turning in migrants. However, the leaders of the organizations say the measure places an unfair burden on them, according to WZTV.
The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Brent Taylor and Rep. Rusty Grills, both of whom are Republicans.
Under the proposal, charitable organizations, including churches and homeless shelters, would be liable for the loss, damages, injury or death caused by a migrant who they knowingly house if the organization’s conduct in providing housing constitutes negligence, gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct.
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“The person that has committed that towards, they have a civil right of action against you,” Grills told WZTV.
Rev. Enoch Fuzz, who is the senior pastor of the Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, told the outlet that only the person who committed the crime should be held responsible.
“You can’t hold anybody liable for the actions of somebody except for the person themselves,” he said.
Asked if his church planned to house illegal migrants, Fuzz vowed to help people and said he has lived his whole life “anchored in wanting to help people.”
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Fuzz was pressed further, asked by WZTV about scenarios in which a migrant commits a crime.
“Well what if anybody goes out to commit a crime?” he responded.
Sam Siple, the Vice President for Development and Marketing with the Nashville Rescue Mission, told WZTV that holding organizations liable is not a good solution and that it would strain resources.
“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,” he said. “So our goal is, again, to help and provide human services. It’s not to enforce immigration.”
Grills said he and Taylor plan to add amendments to the bill to clarify what it would do, including possibly expanding what liability would entail.
“The intention of this bill is not to incriminate those who provide temporary housing for a homeless shelter,” Grills told WZTV. “It’s to deter criminal activity.”
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