HB1711 PASSES FIRST COMMITTEE VOTE: “Throughout history, when governments have targeted children or restricted access to education, we have looked back with regret."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2026
HB1711 PASSES FIRST COMMITTEE VOTE: “Throughout history, when governments have targeted children or restricted access to education, we have looked back with regret."
NASHVILLE—This morning, Tennessee House Bill 1711 (Davis) passed out of the House Departments and Agencies Subcommittee by a vote of 6-2. The bill will next be heard in the House State and Local Government Committee.
Betsy Hobkirk, a public school teacher in Knoxville, drove to Nashville to testify against the bill saying, “Throughout history, when governments have targeted children or restricted access to education, we have looked back with regret. As educators we are charged with nurturing both the minds and the well-being of our students. Asking schools to collect immigration status—knowing the potential consequences—places us in direct conflict with that mission.”
“Anti-immigrant bills like this are in direct opposition to the values we hold here in Tennessee, that regardless of where our neighbors were born, if you're making a life here and contributing to our communities, Tennessee is your home and you deserve safety, resources, and dignity,” said Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of TIRRC Votes. “Instead of addressing what Tennesseans actually need such as fully funded schools, affordable healthcare, or making groceries affordable, Speaker Cameron Sexton and Representative Elaine Davis are continuing to blame immigrants for their failure to deliver relief for working families, all while they hand out billions in tax breaks. To giant corporations. But we see through their divide-and-conquer tactics and we refuse to turn against our neighbors.”
It was clear based on Rep. Davis’s answers to questions about the bill, and her unwavering support and unwillingness to engage with its implications, that instead of listening to the calls of over 100 constituents in her district made by voters in the past few days, she is carrying this bill for Stephen Miller, the white supremacist creator of family separation policy.
“Tennesseans are more active than ever this legislative session, using their voices and showing up to demand our elected leaders listen to the people, not political villains like Stephen Miller who proudly separated families and wants zero immigration regardless of legal status,” said Cesar Bautista, campaigns director at TIRRC Votes. “Now more than ever, we are ready to defend their neighbors and fight for what we all deserve.”
Representative Jesse Chism said, “We need to stop calling people aliens. They are people. We don't want people to fear going to the doctor for the fear of being harassed and then not get the medical care they need.”
Dr. Jon Warkentin, MD, MPH also testified in the committee saying, “Sharing patient names, date of birth, address, and any medical information without a patient’s written consent is considered a serious violation, and individual employees and their agencies can be sued for such violations. To collect and submit personal data regarding individuals is a clear violation of personal privacy, contrary to both the letter and the spirit of HIPAA. HB1711 will seriously compromise any remaining trust immigrants may have in local and state law enforcement. Immigrants will avoid contact with service agencies offering the assistance they or their families need, including public health diagnostic, treatment and prevention services. Failure to offer and provide such services to anyone in a community can jeopardize public health for the entire community.”