TIRRC marches for Governor Lee veto

By Logan Langlois NASHVILLE, TN — An over 500-person strong crowd marched its way peacefully under the musical accompaniment of a small band up Deaderick Street and to the War Memorial Plaza last week in protest of the recently passed anti-immigration bill HB2124/SB2576. Sponsored by Rep. Rusty Grills, R-Newbern, and Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis is meant to mandate local law enforcement to work with the federal government in separating and detaining illegal immigrants and their families. The protest organized by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) consisted of immigrants, refugees, friends, family, and allies who called the bill inherently racist, and encouraged Governor Bill Lee to veto the bill for the good of all Tennesseans.& Protestors gather to hear speeches at the War Memorial Plaza after marching concludes. TIRRC’s Campaigns and Advocacy Director Judith Clerjeune said this bill does nothing to help with the immigration issues the United States is currently facing. She said instead, bills such as this make immigrant communities feel unsafe around police because of their ethnicity, which results in these communities not being as likely to report crimes or help with investigations. “These policies are … xenophobic, they are trying to divide our communities,...