Judge Halts Tennessee From Sharing 400 Sick Kids Data

Judge halts – A judge temporarily blocked Tennessee from giving immigration authorities information about about 400 seriously sick and disabled immigrant children enrolled in a health assistance program, after doctors sued over letters tied to a new law requiring data shari

In Nashville, a thin line between medical care and immigration enforcement is suddenly stopping—at least for now.

On Wednesday. a judge issued a temporary restraining order barring the Tennessee Department of Health from sending immigration authorities information about roughly 400 seriously sick and disabled immigrant children enrolled in a healthcare assistance program. The order came at the request of three Nashville doctors who treat some of those children and who sued after state officials sent letters to healthcare providers and immigrant families.

Those letters said a new law required the sharing of identifying information for people on the program after the end of June.

The state’s response has been slow and guarded. A spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office said Thursday that the office had no comment on the lawsuit and that the complaint was under review. State officials have not replied to the complaint in court documents.

For the families caught in the middle, the dispute is not academic. Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, said the decision Tennessee officials are demanding amounts to an “impossible choice for mothers” and “risks the lives and the dignity of these children.”

Johnson also said the center has been advising families to stay on the program while the case moves forward. A hearing is scheduled for July 2 in Nashville.

The Children’s Special Services program, which has been around for decades and is partially funded by federal funds, covers medical costs for children in need who have serious medical conditions such as cancer, cerebral palsy, seizure diseases and diabetes.

But the letters Tennessee sent tied families’ eligibility and continued participation to their immigration status. Families were told that if they stayed on the program, based on their status, they would be reported to the immigration division of the Tennessee Department of Safety.

The legal requirement is part of a broader push by Tennessee Republicans this year to support President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The new law also required government agencies to check the legal status of all residents before they can obtain public benefits.

That approach sits within a wider set of bills, in recent years, that have targeted immigrants’ ability to work, get licenses and access free public education and other services.

Cameron Sexton, the House Speaker, said in January that the state would seek “the data” and “the transparency” needed to ensure that if someone is in the country illegally, Tennessee will have information and will not spend taxpayer dollars unless the person is in jail.

The doctors who brought the lawsuit say the policy would change behavior inside exam rooms, not just paperwork. In affidavits, they said some of their patients were afraid they would be unable to get important medical care for their children.

One doctor said some patients who received a letter are not in the country illegally but live with families with “mixed status.” That doctor said some of those patients left the program—or planned to—because of the threat to inform immigration officials.

The lawsuit argues that implementing the rule would prevent doctors from caring for their patients. Johnson said the “harm will be irreparable if the court didn’t intervene.”

The fight now turns on what happens after the calendar reaches June’s end—unless the court takes further action at the July 2 hearing.

Tennessee Department of Health Children’s Special Services program immigration authorities Nashville doctors Tennessee Justice Center Michele Johnson Cameron Sexton July 2 hearing federal funding seriously sick and disabled children