Tennessee Justice Center

The Tennessee Department of Health has agreed to halt reporting undocumented families in the Children’s Special Services program to immigration authorities, following a court-ordered temporary injunction. The agreement includes restoring enrollment, disregarding prior disenrollment requests, and annual recertification for families regardless of immigration status.

A Davidson County judge has temporarily blocked Tennessee health officials from reporting identifying information about children in the Children's Special Services program to immigration authorities, following a lawsuit by three Nashville doctors who argued the requirement could disrupt care for immigrant children with disabilities. The injunction requires the state to restore program status for affected children and continue annual recertification without considering immigration status, providing protections for about 400 immigrant children in Tennessee.

A Nashville judge extended a restraining order blocking Tennessee Department of Health officials from reporting 400 sick and disabled immigrant children in a public health program to the state's immigration enforcement division. The health department had required families to opt out of the program or be reported by June 30, prompting a legal challenge from three doctors who argued the policy endangered patients and violated federal funding rules.

Nashville doctors are suing to protect 400 immigrant children in Tennessee from losing access to the Children's Special Services healthcare program, which provides critical care for medically fragile children. A Davidson County judge extended protections for the children while legal proceedings continue, as families faced deportation risks if they remained enrolled after June 30.

A Tennessee judge extended a temporary order blocking state health officials from reporting sick and disabled immigrant children in a healthcare program to an immigration enforcement office. Three doctors, supported by a law firm, argue the policy risks patients' health, while state officials claim compliance with federal and state laws.

A Davidson County judge has extended a temporary restraining order blocking Tennessee from reporting immigrant children in the Children's Special Services (CSS) program to immigration authorities. The policy, challenged in a lawsuit by three Nashville physicians, could disrupt care for about 400 medically fragile children with conditions like cancer and congenital heart disease if implemented.

The Tennessee Justice Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Nashville physicians challenging a Tennessee Department of Health rule that requires families of children in the Children’s Special Services program to disenroll or risk being reported to immigration authorities. A temporary restraining order has halted the rule’s implementation, with a court decision expected by July 2.

A judge temporarily blocked Tennessee from sharing information about 400 seriously ill immigrant children with immigration authorities, following a lawsuit by doctors. The state had sent letters to families under a new law requiring data sharing after June, part of broader immigration restrictions.

A judge temporarily blocked Tennessee from sharing health data on 400 seriously ill immigrant children with immigration authorities. The order followed a lawsuit by three doctors who argued that a new state law requiring information sharing after June would harm patients, as the law is part of bills supporting immigration enforcement policies.

A Tennessee judge temporarily blocked a state policy requiring the Tennessee Department of Health to report children in a federally funded medical program to immigration authorities if they are suspected of lacking legal status. The policy, challenged in a lawsuit by the Tennessee Justice Center on behalf of physicians, could have disrupted lifesaving care for over 400 immigrant children with severe medical conditions.

A Tennessee court granted a temporary restraining order to three doctors challenging the state health department's threat to report critically ill children in undocumented families to ICE. The department had warned families enrolled in a public health program to disenroll by June 30 or face reporting, citing a new state law. The doctors argue the action exceeds the department's authority and conflicts with federal law.

A Davidson County court granted a temporary restraining order blocking Tennessee's new law requiring immigration status reporting for public health benefits from taking effect next month. The Tennessee Justice Center filed a lawsuit against the state's health department over the law.

Three doctors have sued the Tennessee Department of Health over its plan to report the immigration status of medically fragile immigrant children in the Children's Special Services program to a state immigration agency. The lawsuit argues this policy violates federal law and could lead to families withdrawing from the program, risking harm or death to the children.

Three Nashville physicians are suing Tennessee to block a policy requiring immigrant children with severe disabilities in the Children's Special Services (CSS) program to be reported to immigration enforcement. The policy, set to take effect July 1, affects around 400 children, including 10-year-old Walter with spina bifida, whose family faces deportation risks if they remain enrolled in the program.

Tennessee requires parents of critically ill children to disenroll from a health program or risk immigration reporting, affecting 400 immigrant children in the state. The Children's Special Services program, which provides life-saving care for low-income children with severe disabilities, is targeted under a new law requiring immigration verification for public benefits.

Tennessee's Medicaid program, TennCare, implemented new rules affecting the 'good cause' process for appealing coverage terminations, impacting enrollees like Keith Cottle, whose daughter's coverage was lost due to administrative errors. Over 600,000 TennCare enrollees were terminated in 2023, with many facing challenges like incorrect mail delivery and software glitches. A federal class-action lawsuit has been filed by the Tennessee Justice Center over these issues.

Tennessee's government requires immigrant families to share personal information with immigration authorities to retain healthcare coverage for their disabled or critically ill children through the Children’s Special Services program, creating a June 30 deadline with no transition plan. Healthcare providers and advocates are scrambling to secure care for affected children, including those reliant on ventilators and chemotherapy.

Tennessee requires families of children with disabilities and life-threatening illnesses to verify immigration status to access healthcare, risking disenrollment or ICE reporting. The policy targets the Children’s Special Services program, which previously provided care regardless of immigration status.