A controversial bill that would require Tennessee public schools to collect and report data on students’ immigration status was introduced in the state Legislature on Tuesday, raising new concerns among educators, immigrant advocates and lawmakers.According to The 74, the measure made it out of the House Legislative Committee after being significantly modified from its first version.
From enrollment restrictions to “data collection” measures
The legislation, introduced as HB073/SB0836, was originally part of a broader Republican effort to challenge a longstanding U.S. Supreme Court precedent that required all children regardless of immigration status to attend public schools.In its initial form, the proposal would have allowed Tennessee public school districts to deny enrollment to students who couldn’t prove legal immigration status or charge tuition to their families.However, the initiative stalled last year amid concerns that it could threaten more than $1.1 billion in federal education funds for the state.The revised version now removes provisions that allowed schools to deny admission or charge tuition. Instead, it focuses only on collecting data on the number of students without legal immigration status enrolled in taxpayer-funded schools.
The lawmaker says the bill is now “literally a data bill.”
House Majority Leader William Lamberth, a Republican from Portland and the bill’s sponsor, told lawmakers during a committee hearing that the scope of the proposal was limited.“It’s literally a data bill,” Lamberth said, explaining that its goal is to provide state leaders with reliable information about how many students are enrolled in Tennessee’s public schools without legal immigration status.Under the amended proposal, schools would report the data to state departments of education in aggregated, de-identified formats, meaning individual students would not be personally identified.Still, when asked about how the information might ultimately be used, Lamberth suggested the Legislature could decide later.“Whatever action we can take down the road will be picked up by this body,” he said during early debates on the bill.
Lawyers warned of possible consequences.
Opponents say the data collection could also have dire consequences for immigrant families.Educators and immigration advocates say school staff are not trained in immigration law and can struggle to interpret complex documents. They also warn that requests for immigration paperwork can discourage families from sending children to school.Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of TIRRC Votes, the political arm of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, issued a statement criticizing the proposal.“Throughout history, we’ve seen the dangers of governments creating and maintaining lists of people they think don’t belong,” Luna said.Critics fear the data could ultimately be used to justify policies aimed at excluding immigrant students from public education, he added.
Next steps for legislation
The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Republican Bo Watson of Jackson. While the Tennessee Senate passed the bill in its original form last April, it has yet to consider the new, amended version.Before the legislation can move forward, the House and Senate will need to iron out differences between the two versions. If both chambers ultimately approve the same text, the bill will go to the governor’s desk for final consideration.The debate reflects a broader national conversation about immigration policy and access to public education — one that creates sharp divisions among lawmakers, academics, and civil rights advocates.
