Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced a bill on Monday to increase reporting of migrant crime nationwide.
Under the Migrant Crime Reporting Act (MCRA), the federal government would provide states with grant funding to gather and review data from state law enforcement agencies on the number of migrants charged or convicted of a crime in the previous year.
The bill defines a “migrant” as someone who can’t present a valid permanent resident card, official U.S. birth certificate, a U.S. passport, or a Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization.
The MCRA would require states to publish the report on a publicly available state-government-operated website. States will also need to submit their report to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
Blackburn said former President Joe Biden’s “open border allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood our country, and all Americans deserve to know how many have been charged or convicted of crimes in their communities.”
“The Migrant Crime Reporting Act would ensure that states have the tools and resources to collect data on illegal alien crime and report it,” she added.
Two organizations, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and NumbersUSA, said they supported the MCRA.
Joe Chatham, FAIR’s director of government relations, said MCRA is “essential for understanding where resources are needed and ensuring that our laws are vigorously enforced.”
“FAIR looks forward to its swift passage in the Senate and applauds Senator Blackburn for fighting to uphold our laws, hold criminal aliens accountable, and put the safety of the American people first,” he stated.
Michael Hough, NumbersUSA’s co-president, noted horrible crimes committed by illegal aliens “have caused heartbreak and tragedy in our country.”
“These crimes are preventable, and states must do more to help cooperate when it comes to enforcing our laws. Unfortunately, the media and many elected officials turn a blind eye when it comes to crimes committed by illegal aliens,” Hough said.
“The Migrant Crime Reporting Act would provide much needed transparency about crimes being committed by those who have no right to be in our country,” he added.
In Tennessee, the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TDAGC) must compile an annual report on migrant crime in the state.
The conference released a report in January, showing the state had 11,344 reports of suspected illegal immigrants who were charged or convicted of a crime in 2025.
Stephen Crump, the executive director of TDAGC, stated that the general conference worked with local law enforcement agencies to collect data for 2025.
He noted the TDAGC was only able to match 39 percent of “all reports with their case file.”
“We hope to find a more effective method for collecting disposition data in next year’s report, as we continue to expand our internal resources,” Crump said.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
