Tennessee bill on student immigration data advances amid concerns over future use

A controversial bill that would require public schools in Tennessee to collect and report data on students’ immigration status moved forward in the state legislature on Tuesday, raising renewed concerns among educators, immigrant advocates, and lawmakers.

According to The 74, the measure advanced out of a House legislative committee after being significantly amended from its earlier version.

From enrollment restrictions to a “data collection” measure

The legislation, introduced as HB073/SB0836, was originally part of a broader Republican effort to challenge a longstanding U.S. Supreme Court precedent requiring public schools to educate all children regardless of immigration status.

In its initial form, the proposal would have allowed Tennessee public school districts to refuse enrollment to students who could not prove legal immigration status or to charge their families tuition.

However, the measure stalled last year amid concerns that it could put more than $1.1 billion in federal education funding for the state at risk.

The revised version now removes provisions that would have allowed schools to deny admission or impose tuition. Instead, it focuses solely on gathering data on the number of students without legal immigration status enrolled in taxpayer-funded schools.

Lawmaker says bill is now “literally a data bill”

House Majority Leader William Lamberth, a Republican from Portland and the bill’s sponsor, told lawmakers during the committee hearing that the proposal has been narrowed in scope.

“This is literally a data bill,” Lamberth said, explaining that the purpose is to provide state leaders with reliable information about how many students without legal immigration status are enrolled in Tennessee’s public schools.

Under the amended proposal, schools would report the data to the state education department in aggregate, non-identifying 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.

“We can take whatever action down the road that this body would choose to take,” he said during earlier discussions of the bill.

Advocates warn of potential consequences

Opponents argue that even collecting the data could have serious consequences for immigrant families.

Educators and immigration advocates say school staff are not trained in immigration law and may struggle to interpret complex documentation. They also warn that requests for immigration paperwork could discourage families from sending children to school.

Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of TIRRC Votes, the political arm of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, issued a statement criticizing the proposal.

“Across history, we’ve seen the dangers of governments making and keeping lists of the people that they think don’t belong,” Luna said.

She added that critics fear the data could eventually be used to justify policies aimed at excluding immigrant students from public education.

Next steps for the legislation

The bill is co-sponsored in the Senate by Republican Bo Watson of Hixson. While the Tennessee Senate passed the bill in its original form last April, it has not yet considered the newly amended version.

Before the legislation could move forward, the House and Senate would need to reconcile differences between the two versions. If both chambers ultimately approve the same text, the bill would then head 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 continues to draw sharp divisions among lawmakers, educators, and civil rights advocates.
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