Tag Archives: Immigration in Tennessee

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$55 Million

That’s the cost of turning Tennessee public schools into ICE agents:

The advocates cited a new report from the Immigration Research Initiative (IRI) that shows:

  • Verifying the status of all students in the state would entail hiring, training and equipping an estimated 934 school personnel. For context, that is roughly half the number of school nurses in Tennessee public schools.
  • The cost of hiring these 934 employees would total roughly $55 million statewide.
  • These are not one-time costs. The expense for each district would be highest in the first year of implementation but would continue to recur every school year.

exterior of school building in daytime
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Schools as ICE Agents

Tennessee Republican lawmakers, eager to prove their allegiance to Trump, have filed a raft of bills on immigration. And, they say they are considering a measure requiring schools to collect immigration information.

NewsChannel9 reports:

Lawmakers confirmed they are considering a proposal involving the collection or verification of immigration status data for K-12 students, but said details are still being worked out. Leaders said they are waiting on guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, particularly regarding potential impacts on federal funding.

It remains unclear how data would be stored or whether it would be shared beyond education agencies.

Some school districts are already speaking out in opposition to the effort:

Knox County Sends a Message
exterior of school building in daytime
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Knox County Sends a Message

The Knox County School Board is asking the General Assembly to reject legislation that would require schools to check for immigration documentation before allowing a student to attend.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports:

The Knox County school board will ask Tennessee legislators to stop a bill that could block public education for undocumented immigrants.

The legislature in 2026 could once again take up a bill designed to challenge established rules allowing those without legal status to have the same education access as those who were born here. Board members used their annual legislative priorities list to say they want to educate all students regardless of their immigration status.

The board voted 6-3 to include the priority with two Republicans joining the Democratic minority Dec. 4. Members Betsy Henderson, Lauren Morgan and Steve Triplett voted against it.

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