Tennessee GOP wants to make K-12 students verify their immigration status

By , Chalkbeat Tennessee Published: January 19, 2026 4:00 AM CT
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Chalkbeat Tennessee

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Republican leadership did not say whether local schools or the Tennessee Department of Education would be responsible for verifying immigration status or where such data would be held.

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Immigration Chalkbeat Tennessee Tennessee General Assembly
In partnership with
Chalkbeat Tennessee

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Melissa Brown

Melissa Brown

Melissa Brown is the Bureau Chief for Chalkbeat Tennessee. She joined Chalkbeat from The Tennessean, where she covered state politics and government policy. Melissa is an Alabama native who grew up on military bases in Japan and England before graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in journalism.


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