Tennessee Republicans announce Trump-inspired immigration bills

The big picture: Conservative lawmakers, who returned to work this week to kick off the 2026 legislative session, said they crafted the package of legislation in collaboration with the White House, including deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

Between the lines: Republican leadership said several details of the bills are in flux because they are still working with federal officials to hammer out specifics.

Zoom in: One of the bills Republican lawmakers discussed would require public K-12 schools to verify students' legal status. (Lawmakers said they were still determining what would happen if students could not verify their legal residence in the state.)

• Another bill that would block undocumented immigrants from getting publicly funded safety net benefits like grocery assistance would also require local agencies to report to ICE if someone could not verify their status.

• The immigration package also proposes requiring all new state and local government employees to verify their legal status.
• Residents would also be required to confirm their residency to pursue licensed professions, including teaching, nursing and contract work.

The other side: Democrats and immigrants rights groups condemned the legislation as discriminatory and distracting from other challenges facing the state.

• Advocates would likely launch legal challenges should the bills become law.