Tennessee Democrats formally oppose GOP immigration bill package as Republicans clash over key measure [View all]

Source: WKRN-TV Nashville, TN

Posted: Mar 13, 2026 / 06:06 PM CDT
Updated: Mar 13, 2026 / 06:06 PM CDT


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — In rare form, the House Democratic Caucus has taken an official caucus position against a series of Republican-backed bills aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration in the Tennessee legislature, drafted with the help of U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller.

The bills include measures to require proof of legal status when applying for public benefits and enrolling in public schools. School districts would then be required to report to the state the number of students who could not produce those documents. It’s a scaled-down version of a controversial bill last year, which would have allowed school districts to refuse to enroll undocumented students.

“To have great schools in this state, we need to know how many illegal immigrants are in our schools that are taking resources away from lawful immigrants and U.S. citizens,” House Majority Leader, Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) said.

Another bill in the package would make it a crime for people in the country illegally to stay in Tennessee 90 days after receiving a deportation order from a federal judge.

Read more: https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/tennessee-democrats-formally-oppose-gop-immigration-bill-package/