NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Tennessee House passed three immigration bills Monday amid protests outside the chamber, as top Republicans described the legislative package as an effort to make Tennessee the toughest state in the nation on illegal immigration.
Republicans cut debate short after several Democrats sought to speak against the two most controversial bills. All three passed on party lines.
The Tennessee House passed three immigration bills Monday amid protests outside the chamber.
The bills
The first bill, HB 1704 sponsored by Republican House Leader William Lamberth of Portland, would make it a crime to be in Tennessee as an undocumented immigrant. Anyone with a final deportation order — or who has previously been deported or denied entry into the United States — could face a misdemeanor if picked up by police in the state.
The second bill, HB 0793, also sponsored by Lamberth, would require K-12 students to provide documentation showing their citizenship or immigration status when enrolling in public school. Schools would collect that information and report the data to the State Department of Education each year. An earlier version of the bill would have allowed schools to charge undocumented students tuition or remove them if they could not pay. Lamberth dropped that part of the bill earlier in the session. Top Republicans have previously said they worked with the Trump administration to craft the legislation.
The third bill, HB1705, sponsored by Rep. Tim Rubb, a Murfreesboro Republican, requires state, city, and county government agencies — including local school districts — to verify that the people they hire have legal status to work in the United States. Failure to comply would jeopardize an agency or local government’s state funding. It passed 73-21.
On the floor
Rep. Gloria Johnson questioned the cost of the student documentation bill during floor debate.
“Why would we spend $55 million when we already know that all kids have the right under our constitution to attend schools,” Johnson said.
Lamberth disputed the figure.
“I hear that 87% of all statistics are made up on the spot including the 55 million you just stated,” Lamberth said.
What’s next
All three bills now move to the Senate. The undocumented student bill previously passed the Senate with different language, meaning the two chambers will need to reconcile the differences before it can advance further.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.