A Tennessee government advisory council issued a report recommending that the state legislature extend foster care services and legal benefits to certain illegal immigrants.
This would provide taxpayer-funded college tuition, vehicle repairs, and legal representation to those brought to the U.S. as minors.
“Currently, youth who were undocumented upon being brought into foster care are granted special immigrant juvenile status while in care but are not permitted to receive [extended foster care services],” the council wrote. “The Tennessee General Assembly should explore options to rectify this discrepancy in treatment, including reclassification of these youth as qualified legal aliens.”
However, top Republican lawmakers rejected taking up the recommendation, saying it prioritized illegal immigrants over Tennessee children.
The council was also criticized for apparent political biases, highlighted by one member posting anti-Trump comments on social media.
“Transitioning youth throughout the state need assistance resolving legal issues, including housing, such as leases and evictions; family legal issues, such as child custody or divorce; and potential criminal activities,” the report said. “The Tennessee Bar Association and Access to Justice should establish a pro bono legal services program geared toward 18-24-year-olds who need assistance.”
“The council’s report is misguided and lacks any understanding of the current immigration issue in America,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton said. “A qualified legal alien is here lawfully — obviously an illegal immigrant is not here lawfully. The general assembly will not pass or even consider this recommendation, however, we will thoroughly examine if this council needs to exist or be sunset.”
“There is absolutely no appetite in the Senate to consider this misguided recommendation which would take resources away from Tennessee children in our country legally,” Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said. “It is bad policy to change the immigration status of undocumented children in [Department of Children’s Services] custody, and it will not happen in Tennessee.”
“The recommendations included in the report are from a variety of stakeholders,” the Tennessee Department of Health’s Cory Bradfield stated. “The meetings of the Youth Transitions Advisory Council are open to the public. We welcome any interested Tennessean to join the work to provide and improve extension of foster care services and support to all children aging out of foster care.”
“For people whose applications have been denied by an Immigration Judge, we can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and argue that the Immigration Judge’s decision was wrong,” Advocates for Immigrant Rights stated. “This process can last for a few months for people in detention and can last a few years for people who are not detained. We also help people to appeal a BIA decision to the federal court.”
“We recognize that these transitions can bring added barriers for certain segments of the youth population – those with disabilities, those in the LGBTQ+ community, those with behavioral health needs and those who are undocumented or have uncertain citizenship status,” the report said. “The goal of the Youth Transitions Advisory Council is to be welcoming and inclusive to all youth, and to always be particularly sensitive to the unique challenges that these youth face.”
“The opinions expressed by one of our employees on social media do not reflect the views of our organization,” Youth Villages stated. “We have thousands of employees, and there’s an expectation that no one blurs the line between their official capacity and their personal views. Youth Villages remains focused on helping children and families.”
While aiming to support vulnerable groups, critics argued the proposal incentivized illegal immigration and inappropriately allocated resources away from legal state residents.
“We have banned sanctuary cities in Tennessee and cracked down on illegal immigrants receiving public benefits,” Johnson said. “Tennessee’s message to illegal immigrants is clear: do not come here.”
The incident has sparked debate around states’ role concerning immigration policy and welfare benefits.
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