TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 7, 2025

The Knox County Commission voted to temporarily shelve for six months a pair of proposed ordinances that would compel nonprofits receiving county grants to pledge not to serve immigrants without legal status. According to the Tennessee Lookout, the vote came after groups stood before the panel of commissioners to deliver pleas against approving the ordinances with no expressed support for the measures during a public comment period. The two ordinances were initially introduced by Commissioner Angela Russell, an accountant who said the county should more strictly monitor nonprofits that receive county funds. One ordinance would attach the new requirements to nonprofits receiving funding via the county’s hotel tax while the other applies to general funds distributed to nonprofits. The county distributes about $1.9 million in grants to nonprofits annually — less than 1% of its budget.