Tennessee Gives Immigrant Families Ultimatum: Share Data With ICE or Lose Kids’ Healthcare
Hundreds of immigrant families in Tennessee face a June 30 deadline to either surrender personal data to an agency that shares information with ICE — or watch their critically ill children lose access to a last-resort healthcare program.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — Gov. Bill Lee’s administration last week issued an ultimatum to hundreds of immigrant families across Tennessee: allow personal information to be shared with a state agency that passes data to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or have critically ill and disabled children removed from a last-resort healthcare program by June 30.
The notice targeted immigrant children without permanent legal status who are enrolled in the Children’s Special Services program, which covers care for some of the state’s most medically vulnerable young patients. The deadline arrived with no transition plan for children who depend on ventilators, feeding tubes, or are actively undergoing chemotherapy treatment, according to the Tennessee Lookout.
Families, Providers Scramble Before June 30 Deadline
Public health workers raced last week to identify pathways for continuing care for affected children. Democratic lawmakers pressed the Tennessee Department of Health for answers, while the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics called on pediatricians statewide to send urgent letters and sign a petition opposing the move.
“I can’t overstate the impact we’re seeing,” said Dr. Morgan McDonald, a member of Nashville’s Metro Health Board, speaking during a Thursday board meeting.
One mother, identified only as Gabriella to protect her family’s identity, spoke about the situation affecting her 10-year-old son, who has multiple serious medical conditions. “We have no other choice. We have to take him from Children’s Special Services,” she said, according to the Tennessee Lookout.
Legal Challenge Stalls as Families Fear Exposure
The Tennessee Justice Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization, searched for families willing to serve as plaintiffs in a potential legal challenge to the policy. As of Friday, the organization had not identified a single family willing to participate.
Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, explained that even in cases where parents are not fully named in public court filings, their identities would still need to be disclosed to attorneys representing the state during litigation.
Families are “so scared,” Johnson said.
No Transition Plan for Medically Complex Children
The Children’s Special Services program functions as a healthcare safety net for children with complex and chronic medical conditions. The state’s notice came without any guidance on how families should arrange alternative care before the June 30 cutoff, leaving providers and advocates with little time to respond.
The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics mobilized its membership in response, urging doctors across the state to take action. Health officials and advocates have not announced any agreement or delay to the deadline as of June 19, 2026.
