Cohen Urges Gov. Lee to Drop Immigration Reporting Rule for Sick Kids
About 400 sick and disabled children face immigration reporting after June 30 — and a Tennessee congressman is demanding the governor step in.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen formally asked Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday to rescind a state directive requiring approximately 400 sick and disabled children enrolled in a public health program to be reported to a state immigration enforcement agency.
In a letter sent to Lee, Cohen, a Democrat, described the directive as “morally repulsive” and “inhumane,” urging the Republican governor to reconsider the policy as he finishes his final year in office.
“As you wind down your term of Governor, consider your Christian background as you implement policies that will define your legacy,” Cohen wrote.
What the Directive Requires
The Tennessee Department of Health notified immigrant families last week that children enrolled in the Children’s Special Services program would be referred to the state’s Centralized Immigration Enforcement Bureau after June 30 if they continued receiving services.
The Children’s Special Services program provides support to low-income, uninsured or underinsured children from birth to age 21 who have disabilities or disabling illnesses. Conditions served by the program include spina bifida and sickle cell anemia, among others.
The program also assists families in obtaining specialist care and medical supplies, including catheters, in-home oxygen, feeding tube formula, ventilators, oxygen equipment and wheelchairs. More than 4,600 Tennessee children received services through the program in 2024, according to the most recent publicly available data.
A Program With Decades of History
The Children’s Special Services program has operated since the 1930s and has served children regardless of immigration status throughout its history. It is funded through a combination of state and federal dollars.
The directive has drawn sharp criticism from public health providers, pediatricians and child and patient advocates across Tennessee. The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics urged the state’s pediatricians to submit their own letters opposing the policy, according to Tennessee Lookout.
Political Context
Lee is serving in the final year of his second term as governor. Cohen’s letter appealed directly to Lee’s publicly stated Christian faith as the governor considers how the directive will shape his political legacy.
The June 30 deadline set by the Tennessee Department of Health means affected families have less than two weeks before the reporting requirement takes effect, unless the governor acts to reverse the directive.
