Weak Republicans may derail Tennessee’s bold move against illegal immigration



We either make illegal immigration illegal — or we stop pretending.

For years, we’ve claimed to oppose illegal immigration while offering taxpayer-funded benefits to those here unlawfully. If life in the United States became less accommodating, many would choose to leave on their own. A logical first step: Stop offering free public education to those who entered the country illegally. That policy has flooded our schools with linguistic chaos, cultural fragmentation, and administrative strain.

Denying free education to those in the country illegally is not a punishment — it’s a refusal to provide benefits to people who have no legal claim to them.

Tennessee is the first state in recent memory to move in the direction of sanity.

Last Thursday, the Tennessee Senate passed SB 836, sponsored by state Sen. Bo Watson (R). The original bill would have required school districts to verify legal residency before enrolling any student. The amended version gives school districts the option to deny enrollment to illegal immigrants or charge a base tuition of $7,000 per student.

The bill passed 19-13 but not before seven Republicans joined all six Democrats in voting to continue free tuition for illegal aliens.

A companion bill, HB 793, is making its way through the House. That version is tougher. It gives districts the authority to deny admission outright and requires them to report undocumented students to the state. Both bills allow families to stay enrolled while appealing a denial. But critically, both also include an opt-out provision — meaning districts with large illegal populations, like Memphis and Nashville, will likely choose not to enforce the law at all.

Target: Plyler v. Doe

This should be an easy one. It’s a disgrace that we continue offering free tuition to the children of illegal immigrants — all because of a flawed 43-year-old Supreme Court ruling. The public would have demanded action decades ago if not for the court’s intervention. Texas, in fact, did act — until Justice William Brennan invented a constitutional right to taxpayer-funded education for illegal aliens in the 1982 decision Plyler v. Doe.

That ruling flatly contradicts a long line of Supreme Court precedents dating back to the 1880s. For more than a century, the court consistently held that illegal aliens stand outside our legal boundaries until they are granted lawful status. In other words, they are not entitled to constitutional protections reserved for citizens or legal residents.

Even if we accept the dubious logic of judicial supremacy, states have every reason to mount a fresh challenge. The Supreme Court has shifted rightward since the days of Brennan’s activist bench. It’s time to put Plyler back on the chopping block.

If Republicans truly believe illegal immigration must end, they should act accordingly. That means removing the incentives to stay here unlawfully. Cutting off free benefits should be the first step, not the last.

Yet, too many Republicans still treat education as a separate, sacred category. Senate Speaker Pro Tem Ferrell Haile, a Republican from Gallatin, voted against the Tennessee bill and tried to justify his position by misapplying Ezekiel 18:19: “The child will not share the guilt of the parent nor the parent share the guilt of the child.” He said, “I believe that we are punishing children for the wrongdoing of their parents.”

Haile’s reasoning is flawed. Denying free education to those in the country illegally is not a punishment — it’s a refusal to provide benefits to people who have no legal claim to them. If the goal is deportation, why should we subsidize their continued presence? No one is proposing to imprison children for their parents’ actions. We’re proposing to send them home.

Republicans claim to support President Trump’s immigration agenda. But if we intend to remove illegal aliens from the country, it makes no sense to pack public schools with hundreds of thousands of noncitizens who require costly language and academic support. The only children being punished under this system are the children of American citizens — the ones to whom our elected officials owe their allegiance.

An uncertain fate

If Haile and other lukewarm Republicans in red states feel so strongly about educating illegal aliens, they are free to open schools overseas and fund them privately. But they have no right to do it at the expense of American families.

So far this year, only Texas, Indiana, Idaho, and Ohio have introduced similar legislation. None of those bills appear likely to pass. Other red states, like Florida, face constitutional hurdles that make it difficult to deny public school admission to anyone living in the state — regardless of legal status.

Even in its watered-down form, the Tennessee bill’s fate remains uncertain. Gov. Bill Lee (R) has yet to signal whether he’ll sign it. Like many Republican governors, Lee often talks tough but governs soft. He’s not known for favoring strong immigration enforcement.

If he vetoes the bill, conservatives likely won’t have the two-thirds majority needed to override him, thanks to multiple GOP defections. He has remained silent while the legislative session barrels toward its end next week. Time is running out for the House to pass its version and reconcile it with the Senate’s.

With federal mass deportation efforts stalled, red states need standing deterrents. The next time a Democrat takes the White House and unleashes a fresh wave of illegal immigration, we need policies in place to keep that flood away from inundating states that still value sovereignty.

That starts with ending incentives — especially taxpayer-funded benefits like public education. Letting illegal aliens tap into the same resources as citizens sends exactly the wrong message.

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Woman walks off disc golf competition after male is allowed in female division: 'Now is the time to speak up'



A woman walked off the field of a disc golf tournament and demanded protection for women's sports in the face of having to compete against a man.

Video from an event called the Music City Open in Nashville, Tennessee, showed Abigail Wilson announced as the next athlete to throw her disc. However, after stepping onto the platform, Wilson faked an initial throw before revealing she was abandoning the competition in protest.

"Females must be protected in our division, this is unfair, I refuse to play," she is heard saying in the video.

Only a few onlookers applauded, with one person yelling "enjoy the couch," according to the man who filmed the video.

Wilson was upset over the inclusion of a player named Natalie Ryan, who is allegedly openly transgender — a man who believes he is female. Ryan has not made any public comment about the incident, per the Daily Mail.

Wilson, on the other hand, made lengthy remarks alongside her video, stating that "females deserve to have their gender-protected division be protected."

"This is unfair," Wilson continued. "I have worked so hard to get to this point to play on the [Disc Golf Pro Tour], but the sacrifice of my career and my hard work is worth it if it means I can make a difference for other women, daughters, nieces, and the future of our sport. If you feel how wrong it is to have biological males be competing in female-protected divisions in sports, now is the time to speak up and stand your ground."

The female, who later revealed that she is a tile mason by trade, also complained about the lack of security surrounding the women's event.

"I was having anxiety about playing with the openly trans player on tour because of the planned protests for this year and the threats of violence at the event last year. After speaking with a member of the DGPT staff yesterday, they made it clear they would be unwilling to change me to an earlier tee time when regarding my fears of safety on the course," Wilson prefaced. "They assured me that there would be bag checks, police, and security at the event. Upon arriving this morning, there was no security or police presence. I was also allowed entry even though I did not have my credentials. There were zero security precautions."

'We encourage players to do what they think is right.'

The pro tour responded in kind with its own lengthy statement about the protest and said no action would be taken.

"The DGPT supports the right of all competitors to protest and have their voices heard, and no disciplinary action, official or otherwise, is being taken for yesterday’s protest."

After stating that "no rules or policies were violated," the league said it encouraged players to do what they think is right.

"Ms. Wilson is welcome to compete on the same playing field as all other players. The DGPT hopes to see Ms. Wilson back at another event in the near future."

Wilson's refusal to compete came mere days after a female fencer refused a match against a male athlete.

Stephanie Turner of the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia forfeited her match against Redmond Sullivan, a male athlete who began competing against women in 2024-2025 after competing in the men's category from 2021-2023.

Turner stated that if male athletes can choose both the women's and men's divisions to compete in for sports, there is nowhere left for women to go.

"There's nothing for me, and there's everything for him. Because I have no choice as a woman, as a female, in where I compete."

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Tennessee GOP to nonprofits: House criminal illegal aliens, pay the price



Tennessee Republican lawmakers introduced a bill that, if passed, would hold nonprofit organizations that house illegal aliens liable for crimes committed by their residents.

House Bill 811, or Senate Bill 227, was introduced earlier this year and co-sponsored by state Rep. Rusty Grills (R) and Sen. Brent Taylor (R).

'Deter criminal activity.'

It seeks to amend the Tennessee Code regarding the liability of charitable organizations.

Currently, TN Code § 29-34-213 reads, "A charitable organization providing services to the community is not liable for a loss, damages, injury, or death that results from providing services, unless the charitable organization's conduct in providing services constitutes gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct."

If HB 118 passes, the code's language will be amended to hold organizations responsible for criminal activity committed by illegal aliens housed in its shelters.

Referring to the above-mentioned section, the proposed legislation states, "Notwithstanding subsection (b), a charitable organization that provides housing to a person who the charitable organization knows is unlawfully present in the United States may be held liable for a loss, damages, injury, or death resulting from a criminal offense committed by the person who is unlawfully present in the United States while the person is receiving housing services from the charitable organization if the charitable organization's conduct in providing housing constitutes negligence, gross negligence, or willful and wanton misconduct."

Grills told WZTV that the bill does not intend to incriminate organizations providing shelter accommodations.

"It's to deter criminal activity," he stated.

The news outlet reported that Grills and Taylor plan to add amendments to proposed legislation to provide additional clarity.

Charitable organizations have pushed back on the bill.

Reverend Enoch Fuzz, a senior pastor with the Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, told WZTV, "You can't hold anybody liable for the actions of somebody except for the person themselves."

When pressed about whether he vows to shelter illegal aliens, Fuzz responded, "I pledge to help people, and I've lived my whole life anchored in wanting to help people."

"What if they go on to commit a crime?" WZTV asked Fuzz.

He replied, "Well, what if anybody goes out to commit a crime?"

Sam Siple with the Nashville Rescue Mission told the news outlet, "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."

A separate proposed bill, SB 392, would make it a crime to harbor, hide, or smuggle an illegal alien. Last week, the GOP-backed legislation passed the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee in a 7-2 vote.

Rep. Chris Todd (R) explained, "This creates a Class E felony offense for human smuggling, creates a Class A felony offense for aggravated human smuggling, and expands the offense of human trafficking to include promoting the prostitution of a minor. These are the kinds of things we're talking about here."

"I don't know any [nongovernmental organization] that is doing the right thing that would fall under that," he added.

Meanwhile, on the national level, President Donald Trump's administration has moved to end federally funded housing for illegal immigrants.

On Monday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner announced that their agencies would coordinate to stop "wasteful misappropriations" of taxpayer funds toward subsidized housing for illegal aliens.

"American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation's housing crisis," Turner stated. "This new agreement will leverage resources including technology and personnel to ensure American people are the only priority when it comes to public housing."

They pledged to put American citizens first, and Noem declared that the "gravy train" for illegal aliens "is over."

"The Biden administration prioritized illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens taxpayer-funding housing at the expense of Americans. Not any more," Noem said. "The entire government will work together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally."

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Male, 45, accused of putting newborn in dumpster hit with new charges; 16-year-old mother claims 3-year relationship with him



A 45-year-old male who was accused of putting an infant in a Memphis dumpster now is facing five new charges, including promoting prostitution of a minor and aggravated statutory rape, WREG-TV reported.

What's more, the 16-year-old mother of the deceased infant told police she was in a three-year relationship with the male in question, the station said.

His bond on the new charges is $1 million.

James Boothe originally was charged with abuse of a corpse, the station said in a previous report. But WREG said that charge was dismissed on Friday morning due to lack of prosecution.

However, the station noted that Boothe has been newly charged with two counts of trafficking for a commercial sex act, promoting prostitution of a minor, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and aggravated statutory rape.

What is the background?

Police said in January a 16-year-old gave birth while she was on her way to a hospital, WREG reported, and that's when Boothe is said to have placed the newborn in a dumpster behind a Shell gas station.

After searching the area, officers said they found the baby dead, the station reported, adding that the newborn's body was in a bag.

Boothe was arrested the next day and held in jail on a $250,000 bond, WREG reported, adding that on Jan. 30 he appeared in court, where a judge told him he could spend up to six years in prison if convicted.

The station added that court records indicate that the 16-year-old admitted to having been in a relationship with Boothe for three years at the time of his arrest.

The Shelby County District Attorney's Office told WREG in a statement that it is continuing to "review the abuse of a corpse allegation for potential indictment along with the additional charges. Keep in mind that when charges are dismissed in general sessions, it does not preclude us from still pursuing an indictment and moving forward as more evidence becomes available."

Boothe on Tuesday remained in jail. His bond on the new charges is $1 million. There is no court date listed.

You can view a video report here about the case.

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Video: Axe-wielding motorist repeatedly whacks another car after traffic accident



Cellphone video caught the scary, surreal moment when an axe-wielding motorist repeatedly whacked another car after a traffic accident in Memphis recently.

Memphis police said officers responded to an aggravated assault report at Poplar Avenue and South Goodlett Street just before noon last Saturday.

'Then he came to the driver’s side and started whacking at the door with the axe ...'

Officers were told the victim and his girlfriend were in their vehicle and struck the back of a Chevrolet Impala, police said. After the crash, the Impala driver exited the car armed with an axe, then struck the victim’s vehicle with the axe several times before getting back into the Impala and driving away.

Police said investigators took 51-year-old Brent Fong into custody Thursday and charged him with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, and vandalism.

Blaze News confirmed with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office that Fong was still incarcerated as of Friday afternoon. Jail records show his bond is set at $100,000.

You can view a video report here about the incident; it includes cellphone video of the axe attack.

What else?

WHBQ-TV said Fong has been arrested in connection with other violent crimes.

The station, citing records, reported that Fong was arrested last year for throwing a brick into an ambulance's windshield. Five years ago Fong pleaded guilty to throwing a brick into someone's front window; the victim in that incident was hit in the head with the brick; Fong served one day behind bars, WHBQ said,

What's more, Fong 25 years ago was charged in a Memphis shooting but released after pleading guilty by reason of insanity, the station added, citing records.

From the victims' angle

WREG-TV spoke to a 76-year-old man who said he and his girlfriend — who didn't want to reveal their names to the station — were the victims of the crime and have been afraid for their lives ever since.

“It seemed more menacing as he got closer,” the man told the station. “He took a huge swing and knocked out the back window with one or two swings. Then he came to the driver’s side and started whacking at the door with the axe and put a hole in the driver’s side door.”

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