RELEASE: Senate Finance Committee Advances Bill to Strip Education From Tennessee Students Based on Citizenship Status

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 1, 2025

CONTACT
Media@tnimmigrant.org

Senate Finance Committee Advances Bill to Strip Education From Tennessee Students Based on Citizenship Status

NASHVILLE — Today, the Senate Finance Committee voted 7-4 to advance SB0836, a bill that would require local education agencies to track and verify the immigration status of all students. This legislation would infringe on the privacy of Tennesseans by mandating that they confirm whether a student is a U.S. citizen, is in the process of obtaining citizenship, or holds legal immigration status or a visa.

The bill’s advancement marks a troubling step towards exclusionary policies undermining our public education system's foundational principles of equality and access. By requiring every school to verify student’s immigration status, SB0836, if passed, will subject families to unnecessary scrutiny and create an environment of fear and division.

Judith Clerjeune, Advocacy Director of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition said:

"This bill is a direct attack on the shared value that all children, regardless of the color of their skin, what's in their parent's wallet, or where they were born, deserve a safe and supportive environment to learn and grow. By targeting Tennessee's immigrant families, this legislation prioritizes political games over the well-being of our state's future leaders.

Education should never be a political bargaining chip. We call on lawmakers to stand on the right side of history and reject this harmful bill once and for all and instead focus on policies that foster inclusivity and opportunity for all Tennesseans. The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition and its partners remain committed to ensuring that every child in the state can access a free, fair, and equal education.”

###

The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to build power, amplify our voices, and organize communities to advocate for our rights in order to build a stronger, more inclusive Tennessee where people of all nationalities, immigration statuses, and racial identities can belong and thrive. Since its founding in 2001, TIRRC has grown from a grassroots network of community leaders into one of the most diverse and effective coalitions of its kind, a model for emerging immigrant rights organizations in the Southeast and throughout the United States.