Protect Every Child's Right to Education
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Your House Representative
Tennessee lawmakers are considering SB 836/HB 793, bills that would turn classrooms into immigration checkpoints and teachers into immigration trackers. The Senate bill would allow public schools to deny enrollment to a student based on the child's immigration status. The House has amended their version to remove the disenrollment provision; however, its bill now requires school districts to track and report the immigration statuses of their students.
It is unclear whether this version or the earlier version passed by the Senate will eventually win out. In any case, both versions challenge the foundational principle that every child has a right to public education regardless of immigration status. In Tennessee, public education for all children is a constitutional promise. Conditioning that promise on a family's immigration status or attempting to complicate it because of the family's status erodes equal protection.
The Senate's version of the bill narrowly passed in 2025 but stalled amid federal funding concerns. The amended House version of the bill also carries a cost. Research estimates the administrative burden would cost Tennessee $55 million in the first year alone to verify every child's immigration status. We must make our opposition clear so that it won't advance further. Please note: This link will take you to a third-party website, immresearch.org.
Tell your legislator to vote "NO" and protect every child's right to education.
Your House Representative
Tennessee lawmakers are considering SB 836/HB 793, bills that would turn classrooms into immigration checkpoints and teachers into immigration trackers. The Senate bill would allow public schools to deny enrollment to a student based on the child's immigration status. The House has amended their version to remove the disenrollment provision; however, its bill now requires school districts to track and report the immigration statuses of their students.
It is unclear whether this version or the earlier version passed by the Senate will eventually win out. In any case, both versions challenge the foundational principle that every child has a right to public education regardless of immigration status. In Tennessee, public education for all children is a constitutional promise. Conditioning that promise on a family's immigration status or attempting to complicate it because of the family's status erodes equal protection.
The Senate's version of the bill narrowly passed in 2025 but stalled amid federal funding concerns. The amended House version of the bill also carries a cost. Research estimates the administrative burden would cost Tennessee $55 million in the first year alone to verify every child's immigration status. We must make our opposition clear so that it won't advance further. Please note: This link will take you to a third-party website, immresearch.org.
Tell your legislator to vote "NO" and protect every child's right to education.
Your House Representative