Speaker Cameron Sexton gives Trump adviser Stephen Miller a proclamation
Following the Tennessee General Assembly’s passage this year of a slate of immigration bills, which were curated in conjunction with the Trump administration, state Republicans honored White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security Stephen Miller with a proclamation.
On Monday, Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) posted a photo presenting the proclamation to Miller on social media. In his post, Sexton wrote that the document is designed to honor “our collaboration on Tennessee's landmark immigration and public safety legislative package,” adding, “leaders like Donald J. Trump knows [sic] Tennessee is leading the way!”
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In March, Trump traveled to Memphis with several cabinet members, including Miller, to meet with Gov. Bill Lee, Sexton and other state officials. There they plugged the Memphis Safe Task Force’s ongoing operations in the city, which include immigration enforcement actions among other federal, state and local law enforcement operations.
Miller called the results of the task force a “national miracle that will be studied for generations to come.”
Immigration took center stage during the 2026 legislative session, including the passage of a new law requiring sheriffs’ offices across the state to enter into agreements with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency’s 287(g) program — opening the door to housing more immigrant detainees in county jails or having local law enforcement assist in arresting immigrants.
Other new laws include criminalizing being an undocumented person in the state, imposing new restrictions on both commercial and noncommercial driver's licenses, verification of legal status for public funds, and making certain immigration information confidential, including the names of immigration officials.
