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Judge blocks Tennessee from reporting sick children to immigration authorities, for now
The order protects about 400 children as doctors say disclosure would deter families from seeking care.
On Wednesday, Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Tennessee Department of Health from reporting about 400 disabled immigrant children in the Children's Special Services program to immigration authorities.
State officials began sending letters June 1 warning families that Public Chapter 1106 requires reporting the immigration status of all benefit recipients to the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division, which cooperates with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Three Nashville physicians sued to stop the policy, arguing it deters families from seeking necessary medical care; Michele Johnson of the Tennessee Justice Center called the requirement an "impossible choice for mothers."
The Tennessee Department of Health and physicians' attorneys are scheduled to argue the case at a July 2 hearing in Nashville, while the state attorney general's office has not commented on the lawsuit.
This measure is part of a broader legislative package Tennessee Republicans introduced this year to support President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, which requires government agencies to check legal status before providing public benefits.