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immigrants

As Nashville thaws, fears over immigration enforcement remain

By Marianna Bacallao

February 5, 2026

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As a historic winter storm devastated Tennessee, the fight over immigration continued to play out at the statehouse and in Nashville’s streets.

Filed Under: Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: 114th Tennessee General Assembly, 287(g), Cameron Sexton, Department of Children's Services, Donald Trump, ICE, ice storm, immigrants, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Lisa Sherman Luna, Rutherford County, severe weather, snow, Tennessee Department of Children's Services, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, tnleg, tnpol, Winter Storm Fern

Tennessee to pilot White House immigration agenda at state level

By Marianna Bacallao

January 15, 2026

Tennessee will be the first state to pilot the White House’s immigration agenda, which focuses on increasing verification for legal residents and requiring local law enforcement to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Filed Under: Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: 114th Tennessee General Assembly, 287(g), Bo Watson, Cameron Sexton, Donald Trump, ICE, immigrants, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Lisa Sherman Luna, police, raid, Stephen Miller, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, tnleg, tnpol

Immigration, school choice and Charlie Kirk: Tennessee’s legislative priorities for 2026

By Marianna Bacallao

January 12, 2026

As Tennessee lawmakers continue the 114th General Assembly in Nashville this week, immigration and the governor’s school voucher program will still be priorities after dominating last year’s regular and special sessions.

Filed Under: Education, Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: 114th Tennessee General Assembly, Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Charlie Kirk, Gabby Salinas, Gino Bulso, immigrants, Immigration, Jack Johnson, Justin Jones, Supreme Court, tnleg, tnpol, U.S. Supreme Court, undocumented students

A regional ICE detention center is coming to rural Tennessee

By Marianna Bacallao

August 13, 2025

A small town in rural Tennessee will soon be the site of a privately-run Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center.

Filed Under: Criminal Justice, Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: civil rights, CoreCivic, Department of Justice, ICE, immigrants, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mason, prison, private prisons, Tennessee Department of Correction, West Tennessee

Religious, immigrant groups sue Tennessee over law on ‘harboring’ immigrants

By Marianna Bacallao

June 23, 2025

A new Tennessee law would impose criminal penalties for housing immigrants without legal status. The lawsuit hopes to block the law before it takes effect July 1.

Filed Under: Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: 114th Tennessee General Assembly, Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Brent Taylor, ICE, immigrants, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, tnleg, tnpol, undocumented immigrants

Nashville Masses are emptier as the threat of deportations looms

By Marianna Bacallao

June 12, 2025

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ICE arrested nearly 200 people as part of the early May operation. The raids — and the possibility of future crack downs — has had a chilling effect on Nashville’s Spanish-speaking parishes.

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, Politics, WPLN News Tagged With: Catholic, Catholicism, church, Donald Trump, Freddie O'Connell, ICE, immigrants, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, raid, religion, Rick Musacchio, Tennessee Catholic Conference, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

Students write letter to city leaders expressing fear amid recent ICE raids

By Camellia Burris

May 12, 2025

Empty desks in a classroom

A group of students wrote an open letter to city leaders expressing fear in the wake of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in South Nashville.

Filed Under: Education, WPLN News Tagged With: Adrienne Battle, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, ICE, immigrants, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Metro Nashville Public Schools, MNPS, Nashville, raid, school

Tennessee won’t deny public schooling to students without legal status — for now

By Marianna Bacallao

April 22, 2025

A state review found the bill could’ve jeopardized more than $1 billion in federal education funding if enacted, as it violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Given the potential loss, House leadership paused consideration of the bill after it passed the Senate earlier this month.

Filed Under: Education, Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: 114th Tennessee General Assembly, Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Bo Watson, immigrants, Immigration, Supreme Court, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, TIRRC, tnleg, tnpol, Trump Administration, U.S. Supreme Court, undocumented students

Tennessee Senate passes measure to challenge federal education rights for undocumented students

By Marianna Bacallao

April 10, 2025

A measure to challenge the right to an education for undocumented students narrowly passed the Tennessee Senate, 19-13, to the outrage of protesters inside and outside of the chamber.

Filed Under: Education, Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: 114th Tennessee General Assembly, Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Bo Watson, immigrants, Immigration, Supreme Court, tnleg, tnpol, U.S. Supreme Court, undocumented students

Chattanooga school principals decry bill to deny undocumented students an education

By Marianna Bacallao

April 9, 2025

They oppose a bill that would allow K-12 schools to refuse students based on their immigration status.

Filed Under: Education, Politics, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: 114th Tennessee General Assembly, Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Bo Watson, immigrants, Immigration, Supreme Court, tnleg, tnpol, U.S. Supreme Court, undocumented students

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