The Tennessee Attorney General has released an opinion saying the state cannot refuse to accept people the federal government has admitted to the country as refugees.
The opinion was requested by State Representatives John Ray Clemmons, Jason Powell and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Stewart after calls by state lawmakers to deny entry to Syrian refugees who are vetted by the U.S. government.
The attorney general says “such a refusal would impinge on and conflict with the federal government’s authority to regulate the admission of aliens to the United States and thus would violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”
The opinion goes on to confirm that a refusal could not be based on an individual’s country of origin or religion.
Tennessee Must Accept Refugees, According to the Attorney General
