TIRRC, NILC Denounce Legislation Attacking the Right to Education for All in Tennessee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2025

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, National Immigration Law Center, 213-375-3149, [email protected]
Luis Mata, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, 865-297-8057, [email protected]

TIRRC, NILC Denounce Legislation Attacking the Right to Education for All in Tennessee

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) denounced the introduction of legislation by Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth and Senate Finance Chair Bo Watson that – if passed – would violate the constitutional right of all children, regardless of immigration status, to access a free, public K-12 education.

“Tennesseans from Memphis to Mountain City rely on our public schools to provide the strong foundation our children need to grow and thrive. We send them off to school each day knowing that their right to an education, their freedom to learn, is protected and secure because the Supreme Court has long made it clear that public education belongs to all of us, no matter the color of our skin, the ZIP code we were born in, or our immigration status,” said Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. “But now, certain politicians are trying to take that freedom from our students based on who they are and how they came to call Tennessee home. Imagine a parent having to tell their child they can no longer go to school. Imagine your child asking why their teammate is not playing with them anymore. That’s not the Tennessee we believe in. Together with our members and educators across the state, we will fight for our children’s freedom to learn and for our vision of a Tennessee where everyone can belong.”

“This bill is an extreme, partisan attack on the constitutional rights of Tennessee children to access public education. Not just that, but it shamefully attempts to use kids as political pawns to undermine public education in the state,” said Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center. “Access to education is a cornerstone of a healthy society and a bedrock of our country’s democracy. NILC has and will continue to fight alongside TIRRC and partners across the country to defend the right of all children to learn.” 

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