Nashville, Tenn.–State Representative Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, on Monday filed House Bill 0562, calling for the imposition of fees on the transfer of any money from Tennessee to Mexico and calling for the fees generated to be set aside to fund the border wall proposed by Trump.
“Trump campaigned in 2015 and 2016 on building a border wall for national security, and Tennesseans overwhelmingly supported Trump with over 60% voting him in as President,” Griffey said. “Over two years later, Congress has failed to provide Trump with funding for his border wall. If Congress is unwilling to act, it is incumbent upon individual states to do so.”
Griffey said the “lack of sufficient security along our southern border has resulted in and continues to result in illegal aliens and drugs pouring into our country and disseminating across the individual states. Tennessee is gravely impacted financially and otherwise. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, illegal immigration in Tennessee cost Tennessee tax payers $793 million in 2017 alone. It is nearly impossible to quantify financially or otherwise the devastation that illegal drugs brought across the border from Mexico has had on Tennesseans. It is time to take decisive action and do something about it.”
Griffey said this is just one of several bills that he is introducing this legislative session in an effort to combat illegal immigration. “I have filed several caption bills through which I will be pursuing legislation this Spring to curtail the ability of illegal aliens to obtain jobs, housing or benefits in Tennessee. I want to make Tennessee be the very last place that illegal aliens want to come,” he said.
In January, Griffey filed a House Joint Resolution (HJR0047), supporting President’s Trump’s efforts to end “birth right” citizenship.
Contact: Bruce Griffey, TN State Representative for the 75th House District (Benton, Henry & Stewart Counties), 615-741-6804, ext. 44133 orrep.bruce.griffey@capitol.tn.gov