For the Second Year in a Row, Tennessee Advocates Defeat Attempt to Bar Children from School Based on Immigration Status

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2026

CONTACT
Breana Staten, tnmedia@edtrust.org, 847-909-0218
Elizabeth Madeira, Elizabeth@Tnimmigrant.org, 615-474-3076

For the Second Year in a Row, Tennessee Advocates Defeat Attempt to Bar Children from School Based on Immigration Status

The return of these bills and the outpouring of opposition make clear: Tennesseans will not accept policies that push children out of classrooms.

Nashville, Tenn. – On Thursday, April 23, the Tennessee House and Senate adjourned, rendering HB 793/SB 836 and HB 1711/SB 2108 dead for the 114th General Assembly. This marks the second consecutive year that legislation to deny students’ enrollment based on their immigration status has been stopped.

HB 793/SB 836 would have required students to prove their immigration status in order to enroll in public school or face tuition charges. HB 1711/SB 2108 would have required schools to track the immigration status of every student, burying educators in administrative tasks and pulling time resources away from what matters most: teaching and learning. 

Both bills were designed to create challenges to Plyler v. Doe, the longstanding legal precedent guaranteeing access to education for every student, regardless of immigration status. A successful challenge would not just affect Tennessee, but threaten the right to education for children across the country.

These bills would have had devastating impacts on local communities, and Tennesseans said so – repeatedly. Students, faith leaders, educators, business owners, families, and advocates from across the state showed up and made their voices impossible to ignore. School boards passed formal resolutions in opposition. The Education for All-Tennessee coalition held the line, as it did in 2025. 

This victory shows what it looks like when Tennessee communities from across the state come together to protect students. It is proof that when communities organize and speak up, it is seen, heard, and it makes a difference.  

Stay tuned for an upcoming webinar where the Education for All-Tennessee steering committee breaks down the advocacy that led to this victory and how we’re building on this momentum to keep showing up for Tennessee’s students. 

Below are statements from the Education for All-Tennessee Steering Committee: 

“Today is a victory for every student in Tennessee. The fact that these bills failed, yet again, demonstrates what Tennesseans have always known and research has proven: if we want Tennessee to thrive, we have to focus on expanding access to education, not restricting it,” said Alexza Barajas Clark, Executive Director at EdTrust-Tennessee. “Strong schools build stronger communities. Healthier, more civically engaged, and more economically mobile. That’s what Tennesseans were protecting when they showed up, and that’s what EdTrust-Tennessee will keep working alongside them to build.”

Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM)

“This legislative session, we continued to witness a widening gap between the cynical interests of billionaire backed legislators and the real priorities of the people in their districts. Tennesseans want more resources for crumbing school infrastructure, funding for school lunch programs, expanded school staff, and programming for students with unique learning needs. Tennesseans did NOT ask for policies that would turn away children from our schools and turn school staff into immigration administrators. People across the state made it undeniably clear how out of touch these proposed bills were to our day to day lives. Together we’ll continue to push for a Tennessee where every kid has access to a quality public education.” 

Tennessee Education Association (TEA):

“Every day, educators work tirelessly with every child, no matter their background, ensuring they receive a high‑quality education as we build a stronger, more prosperous Tennessee.

The nation’s highest court has made clear: the doors of our public schools are open to every student. We will always uphold our duty to welcome and support every child who walks into our classrooms. TEA is deeply grateful to the educators, parents, and community partners who stood up, spoke out, and once again defended every child’s right to learn and pursue their dreams.”

Lisa Sherman Luna, Executive Director at TIRRC celebrated saying, “We are grateful for the thousands of Tennesseans, from teachers, students, and principals to parents, business leaders, and pastors, who demanded education for all children regardless of their race, background, immigration status, or neighborhood. It’s thanks to everyday Tennesseans like this who spoke out for the freedom of immigrant children to go to public schools that we can claim this victory against the multiple attempts to pick and choose who gets the freedom to learn. They thought that we would be silent or give in to their attempts to discriminate based on students’ immigration status, but Tennesseans demonstrated once again we will never back down when it comes to sticking up for our kids.”

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